The Women’s Center will be hosting a sneak preview for the upcoming production That Takes Ovaries!: Bold Women, Brazen Acts on Jan. 27 from 6-8 p.m. in the Cook Dewitt Center, located on the Allendale campus of Grand Valley State University. The preview, Leading a Bold Life, will be led by GVSU theater professor Karen Libman and will include readings from the play and discussion about real-life situations in which women and girls preformed a courageous action.

“Women should go to feel empowered and to learn that all women have experiences in their lives that took courage, spunk, spirit, and so on,” said Kira Smith-Butland, administrative and publicity chair.

The LIB 100/201 approved event, however, isn’t just for women.

“Everyone else should go, too,” Smith-Butland said. “Learning from these women’s stories will help people (male, female, transgender) become more aware of women’s issues and hopefully urge them to get involved in gender justice.”

Members of the audience will also be able to share their own stories of bravery during the open mic segment of the preview.

Students, faculty and community members can audition for the production on Jan. 25 from 3-7 p.m. and Jan. 27 from 2-5 p.m. in the Kirkof Center, room 1104.

Smith-Butland will join co-chairs, Jacqui Bernhardt and Dionna Cheatham, as well as all of this year’s directors at That Takes Ovaries! auditions.

No pre-planning or previous experience is needed, just show up and read from a provided script.

About half of the scenes from That Takes Ovaries!: Bold Women, Brazen Acts are new this year as they were written by students, over half of the play is completely original content. The stories, adapted into playscript format by Kat Willis, feature young women choosing to leave abusive relationships, mothers fighting for their families, and men being partners in gender justice.

That Takes Ovaries!: Bold Women, Brazen Acts will be performed March 23 at 7 p.m. at the Wealthy Theatre in Grand Rapids and on March 27 at 7 p.m. in the Grand River Room in Kirkof Center.

For more information contact Smith-Butland at [email protected].
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