This article is from the EMU News Archive. The approximate date of publication was in September 2003. Current EMU news is available at www.emu.edu/news
TO EMU HEADLINE NEWS | THEATER
EMU Play Portrays Crime Victims
"A Body in Motion," a play written by Ingrid De Sanctis based on the stories and transcripts of survivors of crimes as depicted in a recent book by Howard Zehr, will be presented 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19, in Martin Chapel of the seminary building at EMU.
The 70-minute drama, based on Dr. Zehr's book, "Transcending: Reflections of Crime Victims," brings to life the challenges and triumphs of individuals who have survived violent crimes and their difficult journey from a life-changing moment to a place and a sense of hope. The play seeks to honor survivors of these crimes while reminding the audience that these are our neighbors, our friends, and sometimes ourselves.
The EMU professor is an authority on criminal justice and a professional photographer. He directed the first victim-offender reconciliation program in the U.S. and also helped to develop the theory of restorative justice based, in part, on a biblical understanding of justice. Because of his work and experience with this movement, which is now international in scope, he is considered an authority in the field.
Zehr, who is current co-director of the Conflict Transformation Program at EMU, joined the faculty in 1996. Previously, he served 17 years with Mennonite Central Committee, working in areas of crime and justice in the United States and internationally. He has combined his writing and photography expertise in several books on criminal justice and victim-offender issues, including the book on which the play is based, "Transcending: Reflections of Crime Victims" (Good Books, 2001).
Many of the 39 victims that Zehr featured in the book were twice wounded - once at the hands of an assailant and the second time by the courts, where there is little legal provision for a victim's participation.
"What victims need more than anything else," Zehr noted, "is to tell their stories as a way of rebuilding their lives."
Playwright De Sanctis is a former theater professor at EMU. Using a minimal set and few actors, her play presents the challenges and triumphs of individuals coping with and moving through violence to a place of transcendence.
General admission is $8 for adults and $5 for students. Advance tickets are available from the EMU box office at 540-432-4582 and will also be on sale at the door.
Posted: September 2, 2003
