Seven

By: Paula Cizmar, Anna Deavere Smith, Carol K. Mack, Catherine Filloux, Gail Kriegel, Ruth Margraff, Susan Yankowitz

Narrated by: full cast

Seven women give voice to the voiceless. Seven is a documentary play created with the support of Vital Voices Global Partnership and is a collaboration between the playwrights and seven female activists from around the globe, telling inspiring stories of overcoming adversity to effect real change and improve the lives of women.

Includes panel discussions with Russian activist Marina Pisklakova-Parker, and playwrights Paula Cizmar and Susan Yankowitz. The moderators are René Jones, executive director of the United Talent Agency Foundation, and Alyse Nelson, the president, CEO, and cofounder of Vital Voices Global Partnership. An LA Theatre Works full-cast performance, featuring:

Shannon Holt as Marina Pisklakova-Parker
Jossara Jinaro as Laura Alonso
Alex Kingston as Inez McCormack
Emily Kuroda as Mu Sochua
Sameerah Luqmaan-Harris as Hafsat Abiola
Annet Mahendru as Farida Azizi
Sarah Shahi as Mukhtar Mai

Directed by Judyann Elder and recorded live in performance in January 2017 at UCLA's James Bridges Theater.

Sound effects artist and additional voices, Jeff Gardner. Production manager, Tori Burnett. Post-production coordinator, Ronn Lipkin. Associate producer, Anna Lyse Erikson. Recording and mixing engineer, sound designer and editor, Mark Holden for The Invisible Studios, West Hollywood.

©2009 Paula Cizmar (P)2017 L.A. Theatre Works

Excellent production, inspirational

The play and subsequent recorded panel discussion with participants provide an enriching reminder of impressive women and movements in the world today. The seeds were planted at Beijing and although the play was first staged years ago the resonance is across a span of decades. Also, in this celebration of the honesty, guts and tenacity that the stories of these female leaders exemplify, there is more than once, the warm and serious recognition of the need for (and appreciation of) men’s efforts to step up on some key ‘democratic’ issues.

Somewhat Hard to Follow

I wish I had the opportunity to see this live. With the narrative weaving constantly through 7 different women in different countries, it's a lot to take in, not enough grounding. In the writer's discussion afterward, they suggest this worked better than 7 long monologues, and the cost is minimal compared to a film, this script travels easier, but I feel as a listener, this is not the Best way to get the story told. Too much in scope and not enough in depht- although there is so much depth to these stories it may be easier not knowing more details. It is a good introduction to what these activists are fighting against. It is a good way to learn about conditions outside of the US, But this is not the best format for such a complex story