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theatre Men's Fest: Taking Responsibility Sexual abuse isn't a men's issue. It isn't a women's issue. It's something we all share and it will take all of us to make this epidemic destruction end. - by Donna Call T h e arts p r o v i d e an e n v i r o n m e n t in w h i c h this message c a n be c o m m u n i c a t e d a n d accessed b y m a n y people. T h e i d e a o f t a k i n g a c t i o n by b r i n g i n g abuse out o f the closet and putting it up for public viewing was taken on in this year's M e n ' s Fest. In a brave m o v e . M e n ' s Fest ' 9 5 , a n d V a n c o u v e r ' s n e w arts s o c i ety, " u m b a U M B A presents...," Leaving no doubt as to her intentions, woman" by patti Image by Ba/z Bietenho/z. Camille Sullivan plays "the in the new mystics, howes. production, j o i n e d forces to start t a l k i n g about abuse. T h e result w a s a n e w w o r k , "mystics," b e i n g featured at this year's M e n ' s Fest. Mystics is a p l a y that g i v e s an i n s i d e g l i m p s e into the consequences, a n d s u r v i v a l , o f a lifetime o f sexual abuse. T h e w o r k , b y p e r f o r m a n c e poet and p l a y w r i g h t , patti h o w e s , d e l i v e r s to its a u d i e n c e the searing results o f s e x u a l abuse. T a k i n g its family o f psychological breakdowns, We a l l c a r r y a little o f the p a r a l y s i s a n d t r a u m a c a n result d i r e c t l y f r o m sexual abuse. T h i s c r i m e b e l o n g s to a l l o f us. A n d it is i g n o r a n c e w h i c h is i n t o l erable. T h e fact that a w o m a n is raped e v e r y 17 m i n u t e s i n C a n a d a , w i t h 6 0 per cent o f those reported o c c u r r i n g at h o m e , is an u g l y o n e . But w e w i l l see even w o r s e c o n s e q u e n c e s o f sexual abuse i f w e c o n t i n u e to tolerate a preference f o r ignorance over knowledge, denial over confrontation, invisibility over visibility. N o w w e c a n c o m e o u t o f the closet about sexual abuse a n d its l o n g term effects. It hurts us a l l . It's e v e r y w h e r e . It has to stop. W e must b e g i n to see it, to speak about it, to learn about it. a n d then w e c a n learn s o m e t h i n g about s t o p p i n g it. H o w many more people w i l l die at the hands o f abuse? H o w m a n y a l r e a d y have? T o battle the ignorance w h i c h p e r m i t s sexual abuse to c o n tinue, w e must educate o u r s e l v e s . i g n o r a n c e that l e d to the tragedy o f S u s a n S m i t h c h o o s i n g to d r o w n h e r own children. S u s a n S m i t h ' s stepfather confessed his ignorance, shock and remorse o v e r the h o r r i b l e c o n s e quences o f m o l e s t i n g her f o r m o r e than a decade. In h i s w o r d s to h e r from a p a i n - f i l l e d F a t h e r ' s D a y letter, " . . . h a d I k n o w n at the time the result o f m y s i n . I c o u l d have mustered e n o u g h strength to assume m y responsibilities." O u r response? O f f w i t h h e r head. L o c k h e r up. T h r o w a w a y the key. Is b l a m i n g S u s a n S m i t h f o r the death o f h e r t w o y o u n g sons, then d e b a t i n g w h e t h e r o r not w e s h o u l d execute her, too, the best w e c a n d o ? Is o u r most v a l u a b l e response to this h u m a n catastrophe to put a v i c t i m o f abuse b e h i n d bars f o r the rest o f h e r life, o r better, to k i l l her o u t r i g h t ? W e have. I b e l i e v e , a m o r e c h a l l e n g i n g j o u r n e y ahead. A w h o l e a u d i e n c e o n a first-hand roller-coaster ride, mystics tells the story o f one w o m a n ' s life as a s e l f - m u t i l a t o r , s e a r c h i n g f o r the a n s w e r s to her o w n s u r v i v a l . U n c o v e r i n g the path that leads f r o m her c h i l d h o o d through to t o m o r r o w , h o w e s s h o w s us the j o u m e y into o u r o w n centre, into the patterns that unite and c o n t r o l us a l l . W h y a w o m a n ' s story i n a m a n ' s festival? " W h a t better w a y to take r e s p o n s i b i l i t y for the pain w e ' v e caused than to hear it f r o m the mouths o f those w e h u r t ? " says festival director, R i c h a r d Lett. T h e theme for this y e a r ' s festival is. a c t u a l l y . " T a k i n g R e s p o n s i b i l i t y . " "It's the active part that matters: t a k i n g , not a c c e p t i n g , r e s p o n s i b i l i t y . " Lett e x p l a i n s . "The M e n ' s Fest a c t u a l l y lets m e n l o o k at themselves, w h i c h is d e f i n i t e l y not what m e n have done w i t h theatre before. M e n ' s Fest is a p l a c e where m e n c a n l o o k i n w a r d , see t h e m s e l v e s from a n e w perspective, a n d learn s o m e t h i n g . "