Play Aims to Confront Issue of Acquaintance Rape
The College of Southern Marylands Cause Theatre presents But I Said No, an educational theater piece that takes on the issue of acquaintance rape. The play has toured extensively on college campuses around the country. Performances will be on all three campuses: 7:30 p.m., March 12 in Building A, Auditorium on the Leonardtown Campus; 7:30 p.m., March 13 in Building B, Multipurpose Room on the Prince Frederick Campus; 7:30 p.m., March 27 and 8 p.m., March 28 and 29 in the Fine Arts Center on the La Plata Campus.
CSMs Cause Theatre produces challenging and timely pieces that address social and health issues to create a forum for examining societal attitudes and behaviors. But I Said No is an hour-long piece featuring monologues and short pieces, written by Margaret Baldwin and Doug Grissom of Offstage Theatre in Charlottesville, Va. First performed in 1990 and popular on college campuses ever since, But I Said No assists the audience in understanding clear distinctions between consensual and non-consensual sex. Additionally, the play depicts the double-standards in modern society related to sex and gender and dispels several rape myths.
Citing National Violence Against Women survey results that more than one-fourth of college-age women report having experienced a rape or a rape attempt since age 14, CSMs Coordinator for Theatre and Dance Keith Hight said, Rape goes unreported and unacknowledged because of fear and lack of understanding about consent. In fact, the Department of Justice estimates that nearly two-thirds of rapes and sexual assaults go unreported to police. We hope that this production will inform audience members about some of these issues and address some of the damaging and stereotypical myths surrounding rape and consent.
Cast for But I Said No includes Aimee Bonnet of White Plains, Rusty Hrabe, Jeremy Hunter and Erin McQueen of La Plata, Alexis Miller of Crofton and Laura Stephens of Waldorf.
This production contains strong adult language and content and may not be suitable for younger audiences. Tickets are $5 for all ages. For information, contact the box office at 301-934-7828 or bxoffc@csmd.edu. For information about the arts at CSM, visit www.csmd.edu/Arts.
Calendar Listings
CSM Cause Theatre: But I Said No. 7:30 p.m., March 12, College of Southern Maryland, Building A, Auditorium, 22950 Hollywood Road, Leonardtown. CSM Cause Theatre investigates the social issue: Acquaintance Rape. This educational theater piece on acquaintance rape has received national acclaim and has toured extensively on college campuses around the country. This performance may not be suitable for younger audiences. Adult content. $5 all ages. bxoffc@csmd.edu, 301-934-7828, www.csmd.edu/Arts.
CSM Cause Theatre: But I Said No. 7:30 p.m., March. 13, College of Southern Maryland, Building B, Multipurpose Room, 115 J.W. Williams Road, Prince Frederick. CSM Cause Theatre investigates the social issue: Acquaintance Rape. This educational theater piece on acquaintance rape has received national acclaim and has toured extensively on college campuses around the country. This performance may not be suitable for younger audiences. Adult content. $5 all ages. bxoffc@csmd.edu, 301-934-7828, www.csmd.edu/Arts.
CSM Cause Theatre: But I Said No. 7:30 p.m., March 27; 8 p.m., March 28, 29, College of Southern Maryland, Fine Arts Center, 8730 Mitchell Road, La Plata. CSM Cause Theatre investigates the social issue: Acquaintance Rape. This educational theater piece on acquaintance rape has received national acclaim and has toured extensively on college campuses around the country. This performance may not be suitable for younger audiences. Adult content. $5 all ages. bxoffc@csmd.edu, 301-934-7828, www.csmd.edu/Arts.