NANAIMO 鈥� The Haven Society is fundraising to bring a production to Nanaimo about a woman drugged with the date rape drug GHB.
Dissolve made its local debut at last year鈥檚 Fringetastic Festival and women鈥檚 service provider Haven has said its message is more relevant than ever.
In October and November of last year, at least six women reported to police that their drinks were spiked while out at Nanaimo nightclubs.
鈥淗aven Society, particularly our community-based victim services program, has been seeing many, many survivors of this vastly under-reported crime over the years,鈥� said Tracy Myers, co-ordinator of programs for children and youth at Haven Society. 鈥淚 saw the play when it played here for the fringe fest last summer. I knew, after I saw it, that I had to somehow bring the play back to town.鈥�
The story centres around a university student out at a club with friends who is sexually assaulted after her is drink spiked with GHB.
The story has unfortunately only become more relevant in the 10 years since it was written, said Dissolve director Ren茅e Iaci.
鈥淸Playwright Meghan Gardiner] toured the play for 10 years, and unfortunately it鈥檚 only growing in popularity. Which, she says, 鈥榩ut me out of business, I鈥檇 love that.鈥� But it鈥檚 not (happening),鈥� said Iaci.
The piece is largely as Gardiner originally wrote it, but had a few rewrites last year to include the developing role of social media in rape cases.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 made things even more frightening, when you鈥檝e got your phone to take pictures. Because of that it鈥檚 almost like we鈥檝e become more immune,鈥� said Iaci.
鈥淚t speaks to the bystanders, all the people who could have actually stepped in to do something and they didn鈥檛. And why didn鈥檛 they? 鈥淭here鈥檚 two girls at the bar and they鈥檙e taking pictures of the girl who鈥檚 so drunk. Why didn鈥檛 they get her in a cab and get her home?鈥�
Much of the play鈥檚 theme centres the role of being an 鈥溾�檜pstander鈥� and not a bystander,鈥� added Gordon.
