"It was a great pleasure to see Carry the World: Women and Peace performed at the California Institution for Women. The play spoke to every woman in the audience since it deals with violence against women from all over the world.
Many of those that are incarcerated have been abused in their lives, and, they could completely relate to the subject matter.
Judging by the comments during the question and answer period, I could feel how profoundly move the women were by the content, and, the performances.
One woman even suggested that every incarcerated woman should see the play as it had such an uplifting message about the importance of dialogue, education and cultural exchange as the weapons to be used on the battlefield of ignorance, hunger and violence.
I am in complete agreement as I, personally, have been moved to a deeper creative activism by Carry the World."
Shayne Jean Lester, M.S., L.M.F.T.
Marriage and Family Therapist
Volunteer Prison Chaplain
Cast of Carry the World: Women and Peace performed at the California Institution for Women. Pictured clockwise from the left: Roxie Ortega, Tracy Winters, Houda Shretah, Carolyn Stotesberry, Cherion Drakes, Faline England and Tracy Lee.
Over 600 guests attended the debut of Carry the World: Women and Peace, including Broadway producer and Tony Award nominee, Tara Smith, Susan Blythe and Terry Merkle from Theatre for Humans; Tamara Trione of Nancy Seltzer & Associates, Inc; Julianne Reynolds of Romanski Films; Dr Gabriela Fried of Cal State University.
The performances took place in October 2012 at The Imagined Life Theatre with a special evening at the Los Angeles Museum of Tolerance. Also present and on hand to further awareness was a cross-section of the humanitarian community, including CARE International, Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, Human Rights Watch, International Medical Corps and the Levantine Cultural Center.
Cast of Carry the World: Women and Peace performed at the Museum of Tolerance. Pictured clockwise from the left: Jennifer Hasty, Alexandra Chun, Constance Ejuma, Katarina Radivojevic, Colleen Duffy and Yareli Arizmendi and starring Oscar-nominated and Emmy Award-winning actress Shohreh Aghdashloo (in center).