Venus Theater has been giving flight to the voices of women from day one. But to say that this is all that Venus Theater does is a narrow view in this actors opinion. Venus has been giving a voice to a community that is often stifled when it speaks. Venus Theater, through all it's hard work, and willingness to listen when so many would prefer to speak simply to hear themselves talk, has spurred the imagination and creativity of more than a few people ... myself included.   Deb Randall and her amazing vision opened up the door for my first professional acting job outside of college. What started out as a simple gig has turned into a career for me. Through the inspiring work of the company at Venus in that first show I did, my focus for the future has been flung in a direction I never thought possible ... a career in the arts. When I decided to try acting professionally I thought I'd do it a few years, enjoy the ride, and eventually move on to a "real job". Venus Theater helped me to realize that my passion for acting and the arts was more than just a phase in my life, it was my life.   A Great poet and educator named Daisaku Ikeda once said that you could tell how advanced a society was by how well it listened to it's women. In that regard we are light years ahead of most of the world, but we still have many years ahead of us, light and dark, to get through before we can truly call ourselves an advanced society. In supporting Venus theater you aren't just supporting a small theatre troupe based out of DC ... you are opening the door for generations of women and men to create, and move our society forward into the 21st century and beyond. Joshua McCarthy