PARIS – The Rape Education and Crisis Hotline is a direct result of community action in response to community members’ concern that there be support and advocacy available to victims and survivors of sexual assault and sexual abuse.
In continuation of the community spirit of support and action, REACH will hold a public viewing of Eve Ensler’s video, “Until the Violence Stops,” at 7 p.m. Friday, April 15, at the Oxford Hills Comprehensive School Forum, South Paris.
The video chronicles how Eve Ensler’s hit Off-Broadway solo show, “The Vagina Monologues,” grew into V-Day, an international grassroots movement to stop violence against women and girls.
A local woman, Arla Patch, will introduce the film and briefly share the impact her interaction with Ensler had on her. The evening will end with a brief discussion from other local women and men who are working to end violence against women and girls in the community. A community dialogue with comments and questions will also take place.
Patch is known to many in the Bethel and Oxford Hills area. She is a gifted and talented artist and art teacher. She has worked helping cancer and trauma survivors transform trauma into healing and empowerment through the making of masks and body sculpture.
In 2000, after hearing about the play from a friend, Patch went to Boston to see a performance of “The Vagina Monologues.”
She said, “I haven’t been the same since. Witnessing Ensler transform her personal trauma of abuse into creative and powerful medicine to help others to heal has inspired my life’s work.”
Two years later, Patch was teaching at the first Women and Power Conference and met Ensler. She shared her book, “A Body Story,” with Ensler. Patch said, “I am committed to be part of Eve’s mission to support women and men in coming more fully into our bodies, not wasting precious energy in self-loathing and understanding that we truly are sacred vessels’.”
A donation of $10 for adults and $5 for students is requested to benefit REACH.
For more information, call the REACH office at 743-9777.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.