The Birth Power Inside An 8th Grade Girl

Got to see BIRTH in New Paltz, New York this weekend and meet the fabulous cast and director who put on a passionate performance that got the audience chanting "My Body Rocks!" not only during the show...but at the end of the show the entire audience and cast kept the "My Body Rocks!" going! I loved being there to witness theater-for-social change in action.

The post-show discussion was vibrant (practically the entire audience stayed!). There's so much I could share with you about the audience's thoughts on childbirth today and the need for access to better care for pregnant moms, and for the Medical Establishment to put mothers at the center of their birth experience - and mother to demand it. But the moment that moved me the most was when an 8th grader named Laura spoke up and said how because of this play she now KNOWS how powerful pregnant women are and that the wisdom to give birth is all there within women.

Hearing an 8th grade girl speak from her heart and say how she never thought the play was going to be so empowering ("Girl Power!") reminded me of exactly why I wrote BIRTH. To empower.

After the post-show discussion I pulled Laura aside (to the most quiet place we could find in a noisy theater!) so she could tell me a little more about how the play impacted her. Our interview is above.