wednesday, april 7, 2004
news
the university daily kansan 5A
5A
Sketching in the sun
Annie Bernethy/Kansan
Annie Bernethy/Kansar Katie McRoberts, Stilwell freshman, worked on a sketch for her Drawing II class yesterday afternoon outside Fraser Hall. McRoberts said her entire class was sent outside to draw because of the nice weather.
Women act to overcome abuse Latin American theater group to perform plays on campus
By Samia Khan
skhan@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
After three years of abuse, she finally left. After three years of not being allowed to drive, work or take classes, she decided to reclaim her self-esteem.
Now on a sparsely decorated stage in front of an audience of strangers, Albis Santiago realizes she is completely alone in a strange country barely able to speak English. She wonders if her dreams for a better life in America are an illusion. She begins to think she should go back to her husband.
Then Santiago asks herself, "Do I love this man because I need him, or do I need him because I love him?"
She's performing on a stage, but it's her reality. Santiago is a Mexican immigrant and a domestic abuse survivor.
She is part of a traveling theater group of women like herself who perform plays written about their own experiences. KU graduates Elena Morales and Rebekah Moses helped the women organize the theater group in 2002.
Moses calls the performances "street theater." None of the women have had any acting experience.
"We've lived it," Santiago said.
"What more experience could you want?"
Santiago and the other women perform in shelters, churches and conferences. Tomorrow the group will perform on campus.
Play particulars
The women who perform are part of an organization called
■ What? Latin American Theatre Festival
■ When? 7 p.m. tomorrow
■ Where? The sound stage in Oldfather Studios, 9th and Avalon Streets
**Source:** Latin American Solidarity
MUSA, Mujeres Unidas Saliendo Adelante — meaning United Women Moving Forward.
MUSA is a support group for domestic abuse survivors. It operates in Kansas City, Kan., under the umbrella of El Centro Inc., a provider of support and services to the Latin-American immigrant community.
In 1998, Morales graduated from the University with a master's in social work. Now she is a social worker and program coordinator for El Centro, counseling and facilitating immigrant women in the community.
Morales and the women she worked with met other immigrant abuse survivors who were performing plays about their experiences. Morales asked Moses to help her start a local group.
Now Moses, a 2003 graduate, volunteers her time to manage production of the shows. She has helped the women create three scripts.
The plays are a collaboration between Moses and the women. The scripts are based directly on the women's personal stories of abuse.
Moses audio tapes conversations with the women. Much of the scripts are taken verbatim from the tapes.
Moses said it was often harder for immigrant victims of abuse to leave their situations. Many of the women can't speak English, are undocumented and have no family in United States.
Moses said she hoped the performances informed the public of the needs of immigrant women. Most of all, she wants abused women to recognize their situations and get help.
For Morales, the women are a source of inspiration.
"Seeing how dedicated and strong they've become reminds me this work is worthwhile," she said.
Alvar Ayala organized the Latin American Theatre Festival and invited MUSA's theater group to perform on campus for the first time.
The Torreon, Mexico, junior and president of Latin American Solidarity said he wanted students to experience the courage of the women.
Not all the women in MUSA take part in the theater group. Moses and Morales said most of the group's women were not at a point where they could stand up and share their experiences with strangers.
Santiago said she no longer felt ashamed of telling her story. She understands now that she was never the problem in the relationship.
She said that with each performance a piece of the bad memory was exscised from her.
"When I'm acting, all that I've lived comes to me," Santiago said. "With one word my whole life washes over me."
- Edited by Danielle Hillix
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