Words of Choice Joins TRUST WOMEN WEEK
On January 20 to 27, Words of Choice is joining the first-ever Trust Women Week, a virtual march for women’s lives and rights. This collaborative online campaign to encourages people to speak out for women’s rights. Working with MoveOn.org, 70 organizations from across the nation and the Silver Ribbon Campaign, which developed the concept, will let legislators know that reproductive freedom, reproductive justice and reproductive rights are at the top of our agenda, and should be at the top of theirs, too.
Join Words of Choice on this virtual “march” by clicking here. It takes less than a minute! After you vote on a message, you will see a map showing what others around the country are doing!
In this collaborative mass action, messages from “virtual marchers” will be delivered directly to members of Congress, governors and state legislators to impress upon them that Americans trust women to make their own decisions about their bodies and their lives. One million participants are expected to join on this virtual freedom march, and a real-time online map will show the location of those who participate.
As a partner in this impressive collaborative venture, Words of Choice will have a link to the Trust Women Week/Silver Ribbon Campaign impact page.
You can choose a message: “I trust women and I vote;” “Reproductive rights are human rights;” “Keep abortion safe and legal, affordable and accessible;” “Stand up and be counted for reproductive justice;” “We are the 99%. Fix the economy, and stop the war on women;” “Contraception IS Prevention.”
Trust Women Week overlaps the 39th anniversary of Roe v. Wade on January 22, a time during which Words of Choice reaffirms its commitment reproductive justice for all.
The Twitter hashtag for the campaign is #TrustWmn. Find Words of Choice on Twitter: @ChoiceTheater.
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WORDS OF CHOICE
Created by Cindy Cooper
Sunday, October 16, 2011 at 3:00 p.m.
Morristown Unitarian Fellowship, 21 Normandy Heights Road, Morris Township, NJ 07960
Tickets may be reserved for $15 in advance via e-mail at mufwordsofchoice@yahoo.com or by calling 973-292-5331
Seating is limited, advance tickets recommended but ticket price at door will be $20 space permitting.
A woman’s right to choose soars in a tapestry of 14 powerful ‘shorts’ – serious and comic. These are stories from the heart: humorous and tender; poignant and riveting, from theater, spoken word, comedy, poetry, oral history and journalism. It is professional theater with an exciting collection of works from a dozen writers, performed by an ensemble of actors (Stacey Linnartz, Krystel Lucas, Carl H. Jaynes), under the direction of Francesca Mantani Arkus.
Opening performance by Olympia’s Daughters – Olympia’s Daughters is a women’s a cappella choir that builds bridges between communities and cultures. Through song, they challenge attitudes, foster healing, share their hearts, spirits, and joyful love of music. They perform at events such as cultural festivals, domestic violence vigils and church services. They take their name from Olympia Brown, a leading suffragist, a mother, and a business woman who was the first female ordained by a national denomination – the Universalists.
“Words of Choice” features fascinating stories:
- Letter writers pour out their feelings to Justice Harry Blackmun
- A fed-up doctor outwits anti-abortion harassers
- A young woman reaches to a higher power before a pregnancy test
- Two women unburden 14 years of sin
- A Vietnam vet recounts the terror of an illegal abortion
- A young woman realizes she is not the sum of body parts
Three actors, 70 minutes, and stories that will inspire you, enrich you, remind you — & stay with you. Created by Cindy Cooper, Words of Choice has traveled to 20 states to open new conversations about reproductive freedom.
Mobilize and Activate
After the performance, there will be resource tables and opportunities for social action related to women’s health and reproductive freedom. Join with other concerned citizens to reach out to legislators and learn more about women’s health.
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SUPPORT Dr.Carhart in GERMANTOWN, MARYLAND
July 31, 2011 and Beyond
for Peaceful Pro-Choice Presence
Dr. LeRoy Carhart speaks personally and directly to the pro-choice community on a new video posted on YouTube, as he invites pro-choice Americans to join him in Germantown, Maryland (Montgomery County) for the Summer of Choice, a peaceful presence to counter anti-abortion zealots who are targeting him and women’s rights to reproductive freedom and autonomy. Activities are supported by a grassroots group, Summer of Trust.
The activities will run from July 31 to August 6 with a March for Choice on July 31, 2011 at 1 pm. The march will help raise funds for the Abortion Access Fund, Inc., which provides assistance to disadvantaged women.
Words of Choice will honor Dr. Carhart and prochoice activists with a live performance on July 31 at 5 pm in Gaithersburg, MD, a short drive from Germantown, at the Marriott Courtyard Washingtonian Center. The performance space will include a special display by Heather Ault, 4,000 Words for Choice! For more information see Upcoming Shows.
Read more on cultureid.
See Summer of Trust Press Release, July 29, 2011.
Follow events & activities on Twitter:
#summeroftrust
#summerofchoice
#carhart
#drcarhart
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News from New Jersey and New York Stage Published: Wednesday, February 09, 2011
By Peter Filichia/For The Star-Ledger
New Jersey Ledger
Your ‘Choice’
Cindy Cooper promises 14 different plays in 70 short minutes. The event is called “Choice and Love,” and deals with a woman’s right to have, or not have, a child. Crista Marie Jackson, Carl H. Jaynes and Claudia Schneider, under the direction of Francesca Mantani Arkus, will portray doctors, patients and letter-writers who have definite opinions on the controversial subject. “Choice and Love” plays Sunday at 3 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation Church, 67 Church St., Montclair. Tickets are $10. Call (800) 838-3006 or visit brownpapertickets.com.
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Contact: Terry Byrne (973) 699-3501
CHOICE AND LOVE
Sunday, February 13, 2011 at 3:00 p.m.
Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Montclair
67 Church Street, Montclair, NJ 07042
Advance Tickets available at www.brownpapertickets.com , or 800-838-3006
A woman’s right to choose soars in a tapestry of 14 powerful ‘shorts’ — serious and comic. These are stories from the heart: humorous and tender; poignant and riveting, from theater, spoken word, comedy, poetry, oral history and journalism. Created by Cindy Cooper, this is professional theater with an exciting collection of works from a dozen writers, performed by an ensemble of actors (Crista Marie Jackson, Carl H. Jaynes, Claudia Schneider), under the direction of Francesca Mantani Arkus. See Upcoming Events.
Fascinating stories:
- Letter writers pour out their feelings to Justice Harry Blackmun
- A fed-up doctor outwits anti-abortion harassers
- A young woman reaches to a higher power before a pregnancy test
- Two women unburden 14 years of sin
- A Vietnam vet recounts the terror of an illegal abortion
- A young woman realizes she is not the sum of body parts
Three actors, 70 minutes, and stories that will inspire you, enrich you, remind you — & stay with you. Created by Cindy Cooper, Words of Choice has traveled to 20 states to open new conversations about reproductive freedom.
Mobilize and Activate
After the performance, there will be resource tables and opportunities for social action related to women’s health and reproductive freedom. Join with other concerned citizens to reach out to legislators and learn more about women’s health.
Award-winning actor Maggie Reed will serve as emcee for the event. She plays Maggie Biederhof to Kate Winslet’s Mildred Pierce in the upcoming HBO mini-series directed by Todd Haynes. Other credits include 8 years as Shannon O’Hara on “As the World Turns,” Vivien Leigh in Austin Pendleton’s Orson’s Shadow Off Broadway, Dinner With Friends (“Best Featured Actress” by the NJ press), Other People’s Money (DramaLogue Award), all the Law & Orders, Seinfeld, Star Trek TNG, Spin City, etc. Maggie has an MFA from Cornell, is a voice-over artist, and a top NYC/local acting coach.
Press Release on Fractured Atlas
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January 2, 2010
New Jersey & Words of Choice Address Reproductive Rights
Two New Jersey groups are gearing up to address Reproductive Freedom in 2011.
On January 22, 2011, at 6: 30 p.m., a consortium of reproductive rights groups, led by the NJ Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, will hold a Roe anniversary celebration at the First Unitarian Church of Plainfield New Jersey, 724 Park Ave., Plainfield NJ 07060. Excerpts from Words of Choice will be presented by actors Crista Marie Jackson, Claudia Schneider, Carl H. Jaynes. In particular, the trio will present a selection, Letters to Justice Blackmun, based on correspondence to the Supreme Court justice who wrote the 7-2 opinion in Roe v. Wade in 1973. January 22 will mark the 38th anniversary of Roe. The evening will feature a speaker from the National Advocates for Pregnant Women, and literature tables.
In Monclair, New Jersey, on February 13, 2011, at 3 pm, Words of Choice will perform at “United States of Choice,” an afternoon devoted to supporting reproductive freedom around the country and to honor the legacy of Dr. George Tiller. The event will be at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Montclair, 67 Church Street, in Montclair, NJ. Tickets will be available online or at the door. ”Ignore Your Rights and They Will Go Away. Join us as we mobilize as a community to protect women’s reproductive rights; Let’s preserve The United States of Choice,” said Janice Maffei, one of the event organizers.
Visit Upcoming Events for further details.
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October 2010
New Yorkers will have opportunities to see two live performances of “Words of Choice.”
On Monday, October 11, 2010, 7 pm, at Stonybrook University, Long Island, sponsored by Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. A reception will precede the show, a brief discussion with the actors and Cindy Cooper, creator, will follow.
On October 22, 2010, 7:30 pm, at the Center for Creative Education, Kingston, New York, sponsored by Planned Parenthood Mid-Hudson Valley and YWCA Ulster County.
Appearing in the performances are Crista Marie Jackson, Carl H. Jaynes and Claudia Schneider; Kelly Vieau, stage manager; directed by Francesca Mantani Arkus. See “Upcoming Shows” for details.
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TellWashingtonNow.com
See our video here: Tell Washington Now: Don’t Ban Abortion Coverage
See Background Info and Take Action here: TellWashingtonNow.com
