Submitted to Easton Patch:
On Thursday, Deana’s Educational Theater will be perfoming The Yellow Dress at the Southeastern Regional High School to help students and the school community better understand and deal with the problems surrounding dating violence.
The Yellow Dress is a powerful and dramatic one-woman play that tells the story of a young woman who is involved in an abusive dating relationship. The relationship begins as young love, full of passion and promise and quickly spirals downward until its tragic conclusion. The play helps the students identify the warning signs of abusive behaviors, understand the unique aspects of teen dating violence, and learn how to help friends involved in such situations.
The Yellow Dress program is produced and directed by Deana’s Educational Theater, a non-profit organization based in Wakefield, MA that uses theater as a way of educating audiences of all ages about dating violence, bullying and promoting healthy relationships. Deana’s Educational Theater was established in 1994 after the death of Deana Brisbois, a young woman from Topsfield, MA who was a victim of dating violence.
According to Christine Shaw, Executive Director of Deana’s Educational Theater, The Yellow Dress gives students important strategies to help those who are in abusive relationships. “Most teens turn to their friends first when they need help and support with problems. This incredibly powerful performance gives them accurate information, tools for intervention and reinforces the concept that verbal, emotional and physical violence are never acceptable in any relationship.”
Deana’s Educational Theater (DET) “acts to prevent violence” by developing and producing comprehensive theater programs on relationship violence for grades K-12, colleges, the military and audiences throughout the United States and abroad. Performances include The Yellow Dress, Remote Control, Doin’ the Right Thing, The Yellow Dress, Step Up and All Starz. All of the shows deal with important social topics such as dating violence, sexual coercion, bystander intervention, respect, dating violence and harassment and constructive bystander behaviors. For more information on DET please call 339-203-4837 or visit www.deanaseducationaltheater.org.
This program is made possible with the support of the H.U.G.S. II organization and is partially funded by Harbor One and The U.S. department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health.
