| Deb Randall and Venus Theatre have had such a strong influence on me and my life that it is hard to believe that I had not heard of them until a year ago. To say that Deb inspires me is an understatement. She has given me the best give one can give: an understanding of who I am, and who I want to be. Up until my experience in Ugly Ducklings, I thought that theatre was basically a form of entertainment. Venus Theatre showed me that it can be so much more; in its best form, theatre can teach, inspire, heal, and change us. What makes Venus so powerful is that it has a mission above all else: to empower women. Unlike other so-called “mission” companies, Venus has made many monetary sacrifices to stay true to its cause. Deb’s commitment sends a powerful message to me, as a young woman, and gives me hope in my generation. We have not been abandoned, and there are people out there who care about us and believe in us more than we care about and believe in ourselves. Venus Theatre was the first place where I felt totally free and safe to discover the power hidden inside of me. The pettiness of the world I had known just didn’t exist there. At one of our first Ugly Ducklings rehearsals, Deb led the cast in a discussion of the pressures we felt as adolescents. We all spoke of the cliques, the peer pressure, and the judgments imposed on preteen girls. Deb then informed us that none of that badness would be present in her theatre company, that “that’s just not what Venus is about.” As easy as that is to say, it turned out to be true. Despite the long, tiring hours we spent together, our group of thirteen girls and women managed to stay gossip-free. Any cattiness observed was ignored and overcome, and the credit for this belongs almost entirely to Deb. She made me the strongest, kindest, and most disciplined I have ever been because she believed that I could be that way. And it wasn’t just me; Deb is a believer in women, in a world where women are constantly underestimated and value is attached more to appearance than to character. Ugly Ducklings was a play about the evils of homophobia. As a Catholic high school student, I am surrounded by homophobia every day, and I know how important this play’s message is. May of my friends who came to see Ugly Ducklings left the Warehouse Theatre with more than they bargained for. It changed them, just as it changed everyone who saw it. They learned that the words “faggot” and “queer” are more than just words, and that by sitting idly by while they are uttered, we are spreading hate. They learned that hate is a powerful thing, but that love is even more powerful. And finally, they learned that we are strong enough, smart enough, and powerful enough to stop the stream of hatred in our world. The mission of Venus Theatre is clear and unfaltering. Deb Randall is an incredible artist, visionary, and teacher. She has unfaltering courage in spreading her message. I am a senior in high school this year, and I am going to major in theatre next year in college. My experience at Venus will stay with me for the rest of my career. No matter how rocky my future in theatre is, I will always strive to have the courage to do what I want to do, and the strength to follow my heart. I am eternally grateful that I have a role model like Deb in my life to inspire me to do these things. Venus Theatre has done so much good in my life. I only hope that more people will be lucky enough to find Venus Theatre, as I did, so that it can continue positively affecting our world. -KC Wright |