Press Release

'As If We Live To Bear No Scars,' New Performance Piece, Weaves Themes of Rape, Racism and Family Bonds

Workshop Performance Debuts May 24 & 25, 2007 at Roxbury Center for the Arts


BOSTON, May 24, 2007 – When a young woman was raped in her apartment on Symphony Road, Boston, nearly three decades ago, the city was at the height of racial turmoil. The rape, a racial hate crime, was one of three violent rapes that punctuated an otherwise beautiful life. Remarkably, it strengthened the young woman’s resolve to reject racism and hatred.

This true story is the inspiration behind “As If We Live To Bear No Scars,” a mixed-genre piece blending theater, dance, poetry, an original musical score, visual art, film, and ASL signing for the deaf as an integral part of the performance.

The workshop performance of Act IV, Scene 1, and the Final Monologue debuts at the Roxbury Center for the Arts, Hibernian Hall, 184 Dudley St., Roxbury, MA, in two performances at 8pm, May 24 and 25, 2007, with an audience talkback after each performance.

“As an artist committed to the collaborative process, I have felt it essential to combine several artistic visions as we bring this work to the stage. This work speaks not to just one girl’s story, but to the fact that every one of us has a story. Because none of us can live without loss, part of being human is finding a personal answer to the question: ‘What comes ‘after’ if the ‘before’ has been tragic?’” said Andrea Bredbeck, artistic director and author of the piece.
Her collaborators have included:

* Anya Bredbeck, Andrea’s daughter, an artist who created the visual narrative
* Carolann DiPirro, nationally known actress, playing “The Girl”
* Blake Newman, musical director, bassist and composer of the original score
* Chloe Lara-Russack, theatrical director
* Josie Bray, choreographic director
* Misha Derissaint, ASL (American Sign Language) interpreter and consultant

The workshop performance was staged to solicit community interest, dialogue, collaboration, and support, with the goal of attracting investment to underwrite the full performance. For further information about investing or participating in the As If We Live To Bear No Scars Limited Partnership, please contact Andrea Bredbeck at (617) 524-5133, andreaspeak@gmail.com.


For media inquiries only: Catherine Marenghi, (781) 449-8591, catherine@marenghi.com