My Body No Choice Goes National

We at Arena are thrilled that our production of My Body No Choice will have a life beyond our stage! Over 20 theaters and universities nationwide are staging one-night readings of My Body No Choice on their own stages!

“I hope that by experiencing the artists bringing these powerful monologues around choice to full fruition, the audience will be empowered to talk about their own difficult choices,” said Arena Artistic Director Molly Smith. “These include the choice to have (or not have) an abortion, the right to choose one’s body size, and the right to make a decision around when to end one’s life. Far too often, these are the stories women are afraid and ashamed to share, and with the Supreme Court’s recent decision, it’s time for women to lose that fear.

“As we worked on the production, I kept wondering what more we could do to help women tell their stories,” continued Smith. “So with the support of the writers, we started reaching out to theaters and universities across America, asking if they’d like to host their own readings of the play between October 21 and November 6. I was thrilled when the writers generously agreed to forgo their royalties during this time, so that the production is as accessible as possible.”

UNIVERSITIES/THEATERS PARTICIPATING IN MY BODY NO CHOICE NATIONWIDE READINGS

Universities

  • Bowling Green State University – Bowling Green, OH
  • Central Michigan University – Mount Pleasant, MI
  • Coastal Carolina University – Conway, SC
  • Frostburg State University – Frostburg, MD
  • Louisiana State University’s Theatre Alliance – Baton Rouge, LA
  • Montana State University – Livingston, MT
  • Sam Houston State University – Huntsville, TX
  • SUNY Geneseo – Geneseo, NY
  • Texas Women’s University Interactive Theatre Troupe – Denton, TX
  • University of Hawai’i at Manoa – Manoa, HI
  • Virginia Tech – Blacksburg, VA

Theaters

  • Ballyhoo Theatre – Edmonds, WA
  • The Bridge Initiative – Phoenix, AZ
  • Ronin Theatre Company – Phoenix, AZ
  • Cactus Woman Productions – Nevada City, CA
  • Clocktower Players – Irvington, NY
  • Fountain Theatre – Los Angeles, CA
  • Gateway Regional Arts Center – Mt. Sterling, KY
  • The New Mexico Actors Lab – Santa Fe, NM
  • Open Theatre Project – Boston, MA
  • Perseverance Theatre – Douglas, AK
  • Radial Theater Project – Seattle, WA
  • SpeakEasy Stage Company – Boston, MA
  • Mann Woman Productions – Atlanta, GA
  • Upstairs at Midnight Theatre Project – Lexington, KY
  • UP Theater Company – New York, NY