A short summary of your project
We are raising £2,000 to produce Destruction of A Woman directed by Karina Aviva Benjamin for her thesis project of her MFA in Theatre Directing at East 15 Acting School.
Destruction of A Woman adapted by Karina Aviva Benjamin & Miriam Babooram is the retelling of a tragic event in Ancient Rome where a lustful Prince seeks out the beautiful Lucrece. She bravely tells her story of survival and is joined by her Husband, Father, and neighbours to fight for justice.
This adaptation focuses on the journey to accountability and healing in the aftermath of preventable tragedy. #Metoo conversations have been bravely told for centuries, this play is a call to action, “handing over the mic” and including everyone in the conversation so that one day we won’t have to have it anymore. It is a story told to empower its audiences to go out of the theatre and contribute in creating a better world for us all.
Who are you?
My name is Karina Aviva Benjamin, I am a theatrical director, adaptor, and movement specialist having worked regionally in the US and Europe. Storytelling, authenticity, and collaboration are at the heart of my works that range from devised post-modernist dance pieces to Shakespeare and political satire. I am thrilled to be working in London to present my MFA Directing Thesis. Getting my degree has been a dream of mine for over a decade, during the pandemic I decided it was time to take the risk and apply, thankfully, I got into the program of my dreams and now I am on the cusp of finishing my degree with this project that has such deep personal significance to me. I aim to create theatrical works that are not only culturally enriching but also a celebration of diversity and inclusion that accurately reflects the world in which we live.
Creating Destruction of A Woman has been the most wonderfully collaborative and artistically fulfilling experience of my career so far. Getting the chance to work collaboratively with a playwright on a new script has been an inspiring new process that I hope to venture into again. It has also been a fantastic opportunity to put to use the immense amount of training I have had over the years from the Six Viewpoints, Frantic Assembly, Williamson, and Michael Chekhov among other techniques. I am so grateful for this chance to demonstrate how enriching my education has truly been. Finally, our cast is beyond superb! Not only are they talented but they are equally as passionate about the quality of work we are producing and the significance of the story we are telling. It has been incredible to watch them rise to the occasion and take the work far above what I could have dreamed.
Your story
Before the Covid Pandemic the #MeToo movement had picked up traction and spread awareness, and like many important conversations, it got put on the back-burner as the pandemic unfolded. In creating this production we are hopeful to bring the focus back on Sexual Assault awareness and further progressing the cause to ending this type of violence for good.
What is unique about our production is the collaborative methods employed to manifest this deeply meaningful message. Writers, actors, and production members alike came together to share their experiences and create an intensely supportive space. In this we were able to build an incredibly dynamic expressive poetry onstage and are eager to share it with our audiences.
Helping this production come to fruition by donating to us will allow our team to honour the importance of the topic and hard work of our crew to make it the best possible version it can be.
Where will the money go?
With our minimum target of £2,000 we will be able to put up the show with its essential elements and be able to pay our brilliant creative team who have put in endless hours and effort over the past months to bring this story to life.
● Cast & Production (£150x10): £1500
● Set, props & consumables: £200
● Musical Instruments/Musician Fee: £200
● Marketing costs: £100
Reaching our full target goal will not only allow us to pay our creative team but also have a musician accompany the play, add special effects and costume elements, and pay for accessibility requirements such as a Sign Language Interpreter and live-streaming. We would also be able to hire a rehearsal and show photographer to help us document our journey through putting together this incredible piece. Any extra funds beyond our target goals will be invested into marketing and archiving our process and show.
As donors you will be a vital part of the development of this play and eligible for updates from the cast and crew through newsletters and of course through our production's Instagram profile.
Images and video
Find us here
Follow us on Instagram! @destruction_of_a_woman
Rewards
We can't make this happen without you, and so you definitely deserve some appreciation! All donations of £10 or more will get a shout out on our posts, £25 or more will get a personalised thank you message from cast+crew, £50 or more gets a video thank you from a cast or crew member via social media or personal contact, £100 or more will get access exclusive behind-the-scenes peeks of our process as well as personalised thank you message from cast and crew.
Help us succeed!
Donating to this CLICK fund will allow us to make Destruction of A Woman the best production it can be. Every bit helps!
You don't need to give money to help us succeed! Please share this project with anyone you think would support us – on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, by email, telephone, in a chat over the fence or on your blog.
In fact, share it with everyone you know as we think it's a great idea, and the more people who know about it, the more likely we are to make this work out brilliantly.
And we know we said you don't need to give money to help us, but we'd love it if you did! Please sponsor us and help make this happen.
