Global Dialogues

I Am That Child: addiction life story, filmed theater

The theater play 'I Am That Child' is a an impassioned plea to all of us to take a closer look at the life stories of people who are directly affected by the drug epidemic ravaging our communities. If we are to succeed at overcoming this crisis, we must address the underlying causes, including social and personal trauma. 'I Am That Child' is about a woman named Kali, whose life story sheds light on some of the contributing factors and consequences of the opioid epidemic. Intro: "The hills in Athens County, in Appalachian Ohio, are filled with natural beauty and with our stories. When we listen to the stories of people around us with an open mind and a warm heart, we grow closer, stronger, and we see more clearly, more deeply, our many strengths and the different facets of the challenges we face. The play you are about to see is based on hundreds of stories shared by people in Athens County: narratives written by middle and high school students, personal accounts of women in addiction treatment, and audio recordings with people in addiction recovery, in reentry from incarceration, and with people who work with them and love them." 'I Am That Child', while inspired by true stories, is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the playwright’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. Here is the team behind 'I Am That Child': THEATER PRODUCTION Written and Directed by Gary L. Molina Cast: Aryana: Kate Enger Gracie: Carol Patterson Kali: Perri Olson Wonita: Kim Mather Moss: Chad Kopenski Kathy: Barbara Stout Tony: Jackson Savage Party Guests: Zach Brueneman, Alec Ring Understudy for Kathy: Marlo Tinkham Design & Tech: Costume Design: Alisha Monique Lighting Design: Carol Ault Fight Choreography: Chad Kopenski Photography: Benton Molina Production Stage Manager: Benton Molina Projection/Sound Design: Gary L. Molina Props Master: Sandy Russell Light Board Operators: Rachel Couch, Janice Evans Projections Operator: Benton Molina Sound Board Operator: Spencer White This work was rehearsed and performed at ARTS/West: Athens Community Gateway to the Arts, (740) 592-4315 The theater team thanks: Emily Beveridge Karen Chan Shelley Delaney Ken Dobo Donkey Coffee Duane & Frances Enger Grace Anne Gasperson Kevin Martin Pat McGee Kevin Miller Noah Molina Sam Redfern Jamie & Michelle Rout The Woodcock Nature Preserve and Kate Enger, without whose expertise in addictions treatment this play would not have been possible. VIDEO PRODUCTION Directed by Kris Valeriano, Gary L. Molina Director of Photography: Kris Valeriano First Assistant / Cameraman: Paul Nguyen Second Assistant / Soundwoman: Sharon Oh Third Assistant / Videographer: Oscar Mendez Editor: Kris Valeriano Sound Engineer: Omari Hargrove Produced by Global Dialogues Global Dialogues thanks: Federal Hocking Secondary School Rural Women’s Recovery Program Athens County: Municipal Court Diversion Program, Reentry Program, Ohio Means Jobs Casey Adams Zach Ballew Jennifer Barnhart delfin bautista Nevaeh Bell Chris Bennett Cliff Bonner Thomas A. Burnett Ginger Charles Cathy Chelak Alfred Clapp Taylor Clemons Bryan Darst William DeVary Susan Dlouhy Sam Dotson Duane Enger Frances Enger Kate Enger Sawyer Filson Sydney Frank Julie Gillian Jadey Gilmore Amy Goldsberry Albert Green Kayla Gross Suzanne Greif Robin Hawk Morgan Heskett Ashley N. Hill Keri Imler Kylie Jordan Jorma Kaukonen Vanessa Kaukonen Stephanie Kendrick Mike Kubisek Faith Laughlin Timothy Maxwell Liles Kayla Long Justin Lopez Ahimsa Lynne Joe McGowan Patty Mitchell Ben Molina Evelyn Nagy Steve Patterson Cindy Pratt Cynthia Randolph Renee Ripple Trevor Robertson Hannah Rozell Kirby Seeger Toni Seeger Rachelle Smith Shania Smith Janalee Stock Shawn Stover Megan Stull Stephen K. Thomas Kristine Tigner Kevin Whited George Wood Emory University StoryCorps Toastmasters Daniel Horowitz Garcia Kamau Mason Kim Maune Courtney Ruckert Robyn Singleton Shannon Vassell Dr. Rachel Waford Kay Wallace Dr. Kate Winskell Shilin Zhou Global Dialogues: www.globaldialogues.org [email protected]