On Saturday, April 14, Performing For Change delivered a performance called #ShouldIToo in tribute to the current #metoo and “Time’s Up” movements. PFC took the Gonzaga Auditorium stage at 8 p.m., not only to put on a show, but to continue a very important conversation that has begun in society.
The show opened with a solo, acoustic guitar performance from Monica Wilson ‘18. The spotlight was completely on Wilson as she covered the song “9-5” by Dolly Parton. She was extremely comfortable on stage and sang beautifully; it was definitely a great way for the show to begin.
Club members then joined the stage to perform #ShouldIToo. The plot unfolded with three main female characters who all experience sexual harassment or assault at their jobs. Junior Kayla Craig played Farrah, Katie Barrera ‘18 played Farrah’s roommate Alvara, and the Mirror’s own former co-news editor, Juliana Sansonetti ‘18, played Farrah’s co-worker, Victoria.
Alvara is in search of a new job after being unexpectedly fired from her previous position. Farrah helps her search for new employment while Victoria quits her job to put an end to sexual harassment she experiences from her boss. Alvara was thrilled to excel in her potential job interviews, until she lands the job and starts getting sexually harassed and assaulted by her boss. She struggles with how to handle the situation because she needs the promising source of income that the job provides. Meanwhile, Farrah has been dealing with harassment from her own boss and is finally courageous enough to report her boss to human resources. It turns out that many other people, not just women, faced harassment or assault from Farrah and Victoria’s bosses. All victims began to speak out and a thorough investigation began. Following her decision to quit, Victoria was offered a job elsewhere for surveying work environments to ensure the safety and harmony of other workplaces in terms of sexual harassment. After seeing the hope and success achieved in Victoria and Farrah’s situations, Alvara finally turns to her peers for help and guidance. The performance ended with the powerful image of the three characters sharing a group embrace.
The performance also included spoken word poetry pieces. Each member had a chance to read a poem, and PFC incorporated these poetic pieces to expand on the issues being presented. One poem, read by Craig, addressed the general fear of bringing daughters into the world. She stated that girls are too often told that they are not suited for math, science and engineering, and should not have to march for their rights because people think they’re entitled to their bodies. Another poem, read by Katie Barrera, addressed modern day fairytales, and questioned if girls today are safe enough to have their happily ever after. The final poem, presented by Sansonetti, addressed the “Time’s Up” movement and called out many people in the entertainment industry who have been accused of and charged with harassment, including Bill Cosby, Matt Lauer, Louis C.K., Kevin Spacey, etc. Sansonetti said, “The time for change is now, people want to see an end to this madness, people are the answer and people will change the world.”
Sexual harassment in the workplace has been a driving force in the #metoo and “Time’s Up” movements. PFC did an outstanding job with bringing these issues and their lasting effects to life in their performance.
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