On Friday, Nov. 16, the University of Maine Feminist Collective hosted their annual Out of Silence event in the Minsky Recital Hall. The event centered on abortion, featuring stage performances on the topic as well as a collection of photographs depicting empowering stories of women who had gone through the abortion process.
The event was hosted by Miranda Snyder, a second-year secondary education student, and Meghan Frisard, a fourth-year studying zoology and women’s, gender and sexuality student, as well as other members from the Feminist Collective.
“I believe that Out of Silence works in a very unique way to advocate people’s stories,” Snyder said. “The 1-in-3 campaign has embraced ‘activism’ — activism in various art forms. Seeing a scene played out in front of you that brings up the various hurdles encountered in expressing reproductive justice allows reflection into your own experiences and other’s.”
The Feminist Collective hosts many events throughout the year, all with the goal of educating students and community members on women’s rights issues. The Feminist Collective runs events on campus that cover reproductive rights, abortion access, sexual assault advocacy, healthcare access, women’s history, body positivity, sexual health and other issues relating to gender or sexual identity and equality, according to their website.
The theatre performances were the central piece to the production and featured Feminist Collective members acting out scenes of many of the experiences related to abortion. These included how younger couples could react, how friends can be there to help, how parents could interact with pregnant children and potential situations.
All of the short scenes further informed the deep and complex effects abortion can have on people and also how supportive people can be even in difficult or unlikely circumstances. Several of the scenes were two-character dialogues but there were also monologues which added another dimension to the way people can communicate their abortion experience with the audience.
“I am very pleased with what the end result was,” said Snyder. “We pulled together a great group of dedicated, excited individuals who were committed to share these vital stories. Through directing, I learned more about myself as a professional communicator and director onstage, and how I can message my activism with my passion for theatre.”
The UMaine Feminist Collective has been a prominent group on campus; the group had been around for many years under the name the “Student Women’s Association” and changed their name in 2017. The Out of Silence event has been a recurring feature of their program alongside such events as the annual Slut Walk, Beautiful Week and Vagina Monologues.
“I am very pleased with what the end result was,” said Snyder. “We pulled together a great group of dedicated, excited individuals who were committed to share these vital stories. Through directing, I learned more about myself as a professional communicator and director onstage, and how I can message my activism with my passion for theatre.”
With all the positive results of events like Out of Silence, Snyder has a hopeful look on the future of the organization.
“I believe that the Feminist Collective’s future possibilities are endless,” said Snyder. “In the future, I would love to collaborate with more groups across campus and with more local activist groups to sponsor speak-outs and informational nights that would invite a wide audience.”
If you would like to keep up to date with all the UMaine Feminist Collective events check out their facebook page at University of Maine Feminist Collective.
