Call for Call ( with reference to @ColinHattersley, @PaulaDunn #TheRoseyProject, @RCCGlasgow, @RapeCrisisScot)

Call for Call
written by Melanie Allen
photography by Colin Hattersley & Brittney Lucy

photo by Colin Hattersley Photography

I am no longer just calling a show. That may sound a little weird since I’m the stage manager, and that is actually my job, but I am no longer just calling a show. I am responding to a calling. Last week we opened The Interference, and afterwards we were privileged to be able to host a benefit for Rape Crisis Scotland. This show is larger than us now, and it continues to grow every single day. The Rape Crisis benefit is a wonderful example of the impressions that we are making. People like Paula from the Rosey Project are able to have another platform to help people. Normally, the Rape Crisis Center has very little funds, and most of its workers are volunteers. That continues to confound me considering how much work these people put into supporting this center. There is an injustice in the world, and they are combatting it with little funding and not enough people. This is something that breaks my heart.

The past 43 days in Scotland have taught me a couple things:

1) Theatre is able to call out the injustice in the world.

2) This small world means that what we do here can also impact people elsewhere. And

3) Theatre allows the silenced to speak.

Yes, I will still call stand-bys and gos. However, what I am also doing is responding to the calling that Lynda, Paula, Cathy, and everyone in this process has challenged me with. The benefit on Tuesday showed me that the show we are producing is a part of a big issue. So thank you to every single person who has been helping with this process. From the original development to the final load out. Thank you to Lynda, Michael John, C-Venues, all of our master class teachers, Cathy, Alex, Paula, and everyone. Every single person has contributed to calling out the injustice, impacting others, and giving a voice to a silenced person.

From the little window that Nick and I have to see the stage, I can still see these things at work in each of the actors. I am incredibly proud of everyone, and I hope that more people are going to be able to see the work that we are putting on.