Dear Friend:

When is the last time your opinions and desires were silenced by our societal pressures? Our voices are our gifts, some might even say responsibility, and I worry that they are getting lost in the clutter of the ever-growing divisive landscape we find ourselves in.     

Finding our own voice and being confidently grounded in that voice is of vital importance. We must find real and viable dialogue to help us understand what is going on in our communities. We must take this dialogue out of the political arena and put it into the human arena where people are dealing with real issues, everyday. When politicians are driving the dialogue, it is often driven with conflict and peril and that helps no one.

This is why I am most excited to be working with Joe Doran, and the Equilateral Theatre Company, on their upcoming Inanna Project. The piece is based on a 6,500 year-old Sumerian myth, “The Descent of Inanna,” about giving up the illusions of identity provided by the roles and marks of power and status learned from the patriarchy that we have been cultured to embrace.  It is about having the courage to descend within ourselves and to discover, strengthen and, hopefully, reclaim our voices. 

This myth has been important to me, since the Eighties, as a way of knowing myself and the times that I live in. These ideas of using the material have helped me to access voices that have been silenced, ridiculed, and demonized; they’ve helped me find worth in those voices; to take from them what I need and share it with others.  

ETC’s current project speaks to this journey of transforming ourselves and others. It absolutely speaks to me and, and I think, it could speak to you and everyone who grows to reclaim what has been silenced, muted, and denied. 

I’d like to ask you to join me in supporting this important work by making a donation.  Your contribution will help make it possible for us to workshop this inspiring material into a performance that, hopefully, move others by encouraging them to make their own personal descent and find their voice.

I know these are lean years and I wouldn’t ask for your support if I didn’t believe both in this piece and the positive impact it can have. Together, we can partner in supporting ETC’s efforts to bring this 6,500 year-old Sumerian myth to life. Together, we can empower and find our voice. 

Please send your gift today by using the link below. And if you’d like to learn more about the piece, or even make your donation online, please visit www.equilateraltheatre.org.

With Warmest Regards,

Olympia Dukakis