PeaceWomen: Theatre and Peace

No, the title isn’t a typo. PeaceWomen is the name of a theatre piece I wrote about the female Nobel Peace Prize Laureates. Since 1901, twelve women have won the Nobel Peace Prize. Just twelve. Their writings and their lives fascinate me.

Because I, too, Nobel Laureate or not, am a peacewoman, I spent many years reading the words of these women, and because of my theatre background, it made sense to me to create a solo performance piece as an opportunity for a dedicated performer. So far I haven’t found that actor, but I will.

What I have created is an invitation to have a theatre community do a reading of my piece for World Theatre Day! Am I excited! First, the director has cast women and men as the peacewomen, and the reading is colorblind as well. Learn about World Theatre Day briefly:

“It was first at the 9th World Congress of the ITI (International Theatre Institute) in June 1961 that President Arvi Kivimaa proposed that a WORLD THEATRE DAY be instituted. The proposal was carried with acclamation. Ever since, on the 27th March, World Theatre Day has been celebrated in many and varied ways by ITI National Centres, of which there are now almost 100 throughout the world.

“Set up in 1948, by UNESCO (United National Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) and world-renowned theatre personalities, the International Theatre Institute is the most important international non-governmental organization in the field of the performing arts, enjoying formal relations of consultation and association with UNESCO. ITI seeks “to promote international exchange of knowledge and practice in the domain of the performing arts, to stimulate creation and increase cooperation between theatre people, to make public opinion aware of the necessity of taking artistic creation into consideration in the domain of development, to deepen mutual understanding in order to participate in strengthening peace and friendship among peoples, to join in the defense of the ideals and aims of UNESCO.”

The thing about the reading at Tufts is it made me think, yet again, about peacewomen and the theatre. Their stories are theatrical in their very nature. As I created PeaceWomen, the thing that touched me most about these women who have worked, and continue to work, for peace is that each one began her peacework because of SOMETHING PERSONAL. Some personal upset in her own life prompted her dedication to peace everywhere. I think this is the only way real activism happens. Whatever our cause, we adopt it because of something personal. That was a huge revelation for me at the time.

And so, may I invite all those in the Boston area to a free reading of PeaceWomen by Dr. Susan Corso on Wednesday, March 25th at 5 PM in the Balch Arena Theatre at Tufts University? It should last about an hour. And please be sure to introduce yourself to me! (I’ll be the one with the red ponytail.) I love the combination of theatre and peace. I think many people consider peace boring, a stasis, not a dynamic. There are as many definitions of peace as there are people on the planet, and believe me, if even half the ones I’ve heard are accurate, they’re plenty theatrical!

P.S. The link to PeaceWomen will take you to the script posted on my website. I am always glad to allow others to do the show for a small donation. Consider it for your peace group! And if you’re in need of a speaker, I’d be glad to visit and talk peace.

Visit Dr. Susan Corso’s website or subscribe to Seeds at www.susancorso.com.

originally posted on Ode Magazine