a performance and discussion about dating violence: signposts of domestic abuse dramatized in a story about a young couple.
issues addressed
This story focuses on a young couple whose relationship becomes an abusive one.It shows how domestic violence has recognizable and characteristic stages.He's a musician, his values are compromised by his dependency on drugs and his ideas about how guys are supposed to act.She's a budding writer who loses herself in the relationship and tries to understand what went wrong and how she can fix it. The end is the beginning of both of their recoveries: she is guided to leave him because of an intervention, and he learns that alcohol is not an excuse for his behavior.He learns that nothing will ever change for the better in his life until he puts down his drugs and stays clean and sober.
After the play, the actors tell their own stories of addiction and recovery and how drinking/drug use affected their relationships. They stay on stage for a Q&A discussion. Students are left with the message that there is hope, there are resources for getting help, and they can make the changes they need to in their lives..
I'm so sorry - I promise I'll never drink again. You look beautiful.
teachers say
"Thank you! Bravo! Your performance sparked many discussions, touched hearts, really made people think about the issues."
"Your dynamic presentation was well received by both students and faculty and provided a much needed framework for discussing dating violence. After the performance a number of students visited the school counselors todiscuss their own drug use or relationship issues."
"I appreciated including the young man's perspective - that even after cutting down on his drinking, he found out he still needed to get help for his anger."
I'm still here - I haven't forgotten who I am.
students say what stood out for them
"...when they played out what happens in the cycle of abuse, because that helped me see the warning signs."
"...when the guy got help for his drinking problem and when the girl finally shut him out, because it shows how you can turn a situation around."
"...when the actors told their real stories because it made everything seem more real."
"...the whole thing, because it was entertaining and it got a good message across."
Hitting Rock Bottom is suitable and adaptable for middle school, high school, college and community audiences. It comes with pre- and post-performance discussion guides. For information about space and time requirements, go to the performances page.
The play was created with a grant from Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation as part of their violence prevention initiative.
