Help Me at Chautauqua Playhouse

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A male college student, Joe, enters a hyper-realistic simulation and finds himself cast as a number of women, each faced with the daunting task of refusing the sexual advances of men. Employing what he sees as basic human logic and decorum, Joe attempts to resolve each confrontation, but soon realizes that without the authority of his male persona, the obstacles he faces and the people he encounters will be far more difficult and dangerous than he ever suspected.

Help Me is a meditation on a question whose answer seems so simple and obvious to those with male privilege: Why can’t you just tell them “No?” With scenarios that will ring true on both sides of the gender divide, Help Me is a dark and tensely dramatic exploration of human behavior that is ultimately hopeful. It is an attempt to open dialogue and promote contemplation on topics of supreme importance that, like the women Joe struggles to empathize with, are too often derided or dismissed. Only through deep understanding can Joe first hope to change his perspective, his expectations, and finally, his situation.

Inspired by the #Metoo movement and the testimonials of www.whenwomenrefuse.tumblr.com.

Written by James Van Eaton

THIS PLAY IS RATED R for sexual assault content and strong language. Viewer discretion is advised.