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Strong women playwrights show the way to healing in an age of COVID-19

Two new play scripts by female writers are helping readers find healing through the pain of mounting COVID deaths, economic uncertainty and political unrest as 2021 unfolds.

Virginia Beach, United States - March 4, 2021 /PressCable/

VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA (March 4, 2021) — Anguish has been the theme of 2020 and the beginning of 2021. The rising number of deaths from COVID-19, economic uncertainty, political unrest, and the unending list of suffering is a lot. But two new plays are helping readers find healing through the pain.

“Theatre is a healing art,” said Jean Klein, owner of Blue Moon Plays. “The two plays we just released celebrate two, strong female characters working through and providing a path for others grappling with unimaginable internal anguish — something too many of us are trying to cope with right now.

“Drowning Ophelia” by Rachel Luann Strayer uses theatre to confront the issue of familial incest. “PTSD and Me” by Iraq War Veteran Erika Renee Land was written after she was saved by “divine intervention” from several suicide attempts. For her service, Land had received two Army Achievement Medals, the Army Superior Unit Award, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism service medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal with campaign star, the Army Service Ribbon, and the Overseas service ribbon.

In Drowning Ophelia, Jane is challenged by a Shakesperian character who resides in her bathtub. Ophelia sings about death and valentines, sabotaging Jane’s carefully planned fantasy dates. Ophelia’s intrusion creates an unwelcome resurgence of memories about a brother that Jane would rather forget. A review in “Phindie” — a website which provides independent coverage of Philadelphia theatre and art — wrote, “(a) poetic and powerful (play) understands that sometimes what’s in our head is more real than what’s outside of it.”

“Drowning Ophelia dazzles with its innovative theatricality,” said Klein. “Strayer’s economical and challenging use of language, costumes, and layers of pretense and artifice are the definition of stage magic. But this stage magic not only dazzles — it points a way toward healing when reconciliation is not an option.”

PTSD and Me brings the audience into the mind and triggers of a soldier that shatter the psyche and ability to live peacefully in this world. Land is a highly-decorated veteran of the U.S. Army. She was stationed in Mosul, Iraq, and as a lesbian and African American, has lived the role of outsider on many fronts.

The horrors of war that she saw changed her. She could no longer cope with the emotional turmoil and attempted suicide several times. Each time she was saved by what she calls “divine intervention.” Then one day, a song changed her life. The words brought her to tears and a new life mission: educate others about post-traumatic stress disorder.

“Land has used poetry to restore her own sanity,” said Klein. “But her work also offers an honest, unfiltered view of PTSD and all the people it affects.”

“PTSD and Me” is the theatrical adaptation of Land’s poem “War Song. PTSD and Me”, and, along with Strayer’s “Drowning Ophelia”, are adding to our growing stock of plays about mental health available now from Blue Moon Plays.

About Blue Moon Plays

Blue Moon Plays provides high-quality, professionally written, inspiring plays and performance texts for a wide range of education, community, and professional theatre needs. Blue Moon Plays is dedicated to helping theatre companies, community groups, senior entertainment groups and schools find scripts that meet their exact needs.

Contact Info:
Name: Jean Klein
Email: Send Email
Organization: Blue Moon Plays LLC
Address: 1385 Fordham Drive Ste 105-279, Virginia Beach, VA 23464, United States
Phone: +1-757-816-1164
Website: https://havescripts.com

Source: PressCable

Release ID: 88999611

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