Screening at The Red Tent, Los Gatos

For international Midwives Day

Patricia Madden and Jennifer Penick hosted the screening at this wonderful, everything-red space: Outside just another mall space. Inside crimson, draped, glowing and full of women's energy!


I read the first monologue - the midwife's monologue - she addresses a group of pregnant couples at a pre-natal visit. These are the inspirational words which capture centuries-old deep wisdom and intuition that women have around birth. We had to edit it out of the film. Here are a couple of excerpts,

"You CAN give birth to this baby. You were designed to give birth to this baby. There is a reason that the uterus is the strongest muscle in the human body. That a baby's skull bones overlap in birth to accommodate the space it has to go through. That a woman's white blood cell count rises from 5,000 to 15,000 in birth - to protect her from infection. Somewhere, you have a knowledge of this, a biological memory imprinted on your X chromosome."


My sister-in-law Young Boon and my niece, Michelle, came to see the show from San Jose.! And a really great audience. (Above is only one half of the room). The discussion afterwards was, for me, fantastic, as I got to see how people interpreted the film, what they took away with them into their lives. The stories that came out and my admiration for yet another strong mum who prevailed in her v-bac; I was also especially impressed with the Yoga instructor, Jeanna Lurie. Here they both are:


If you want copies of the script, go to www.smashwords.com/books/view/48770
PASS THE WORD ALONG.

If you want to talk about bringing the film to your community, contact me at hickshalloran AT dccnet.com

It's Mother's Day. And since the film is all about 'who is there for the mother'? I celebrate with this. PLEASE pass this info onto friends/mums/birth care providers you think would be interested.

SINGING THE BONES published on Smashwords.com

Singing the Bones is the story of three women whose lives are linked by a mysterious pregnancy: Meg, a passionate midwife who believes in women's power in birth; Nicole, a feisty, down-to-earth mother, who is pregnant with twins and determined to birth without intervention and Sara, the compassionate obstetrician whose secrets "are leaking from every pocket." As Nicole's pregnancy is discovered to be high-risk, Meg must answer the question: Is one woman's choice worth the chance that her babies may die? On the night of the birth the dreams and secrets of all three women collide, creating the possibility of a miracle.

Now you can have a copy of the play. Download it here: www.smashwords.com/books/view/48968

You can review the play once you order it. And if you do review it, you will be entered in to a DRAW to win a DVD of the film. Once you review the play, contact me through www.fatsalmon.ca and your name will be entered to win a DVD!



Audiences applaud Singing the Bones
“Hicks explores the marvel of birth and the politics of midwifery with intelligence and a bold dramatic sense; a truly interactive and exciting performance.”-The Times Colonist, Victoria, B.C. Canada

“Since the show I have had so much feedback from those who came -- all of it rapturous. . . many of us felt it was the most powerful and important play we had ever had the fortune to attend . . . The issues dealt with in “Singing the Bones” really need to be thought about and discussed in this country.”-Sara Davies, host of Singing the Bones 
at Salford University, Manchester, England

"Such a loving portrayal of three common, uncommon women. The first time a live theatre performance has made me cry! It remains the most powerful theater production I have ever experienced.” -Rachael Myr, Norway

"An exceptional performance. . . unforgettable.We laughed, we cried, we were reaffirmed as women, as mothers." - Laura Goulet, Editor, Birthing Magazine

"I had the pleasure of being in the audience last week to see Singing the Bones. . . I want to congratulate you on a wonderful play! I look forward to seeing it on Broadway!"-Barbara Katz Rothman, Professor of Sociology,
Baruch College, New York

Fundraiser for ICAN, Baltimore, Maryland

Date: December 5th 2009

Time: 10 AM; Panel discussion to follow

Doors open @ 9:15 AM for coffee and a showcase of area birth and baby related businesses

Where: RC Hollywood Cinema 4, 5509 Oregon Avenue, Arbutus, Maryland 21227

Cost: $20 general admission, $8 students

For more information: http://www.icanofbaltimore.org and click on "meetings"

Coudesport, Pennsylvania

From Jane Metzger, Donna Batterson and Freda Fultz, a report on the International Women's Day screening in Coudesport, Pennsylvania: "Thank you for a most enjoyable afternoon. It was a cold and rainy Sunday. We screened the movie by using a projector hooked up to a dvd player. Age of participants ranged from 20s to 80s. There were several current and former OB nurses in attendance."

"Caitlin Hicks was awesome in the portrayal of three very different women. From the unbridled joy to the deep heartbreak and the strong affirmation of womanhood, she portrayed the depth of emotion with great emotion. Wow!"

"It was a difficult story to watch, at times almost too intense. It was the end of the movie before I realized that it was the same actor who portrayed the three women. She was simply incredible."

"I’m still processing the movie but I thought it was very well done and the Meg/Sara/Nicole actress was superb. I enjoyed meeting some new folks and reconnecting with women I already knew."

"I thought there were some good points in the movie but I was troubled by the way the medical profession was vilified. Overall men were not portrayed in a positive way except at the very beginning where the fathers were gamboling with their children."



Thank you for your comments about our film, Singing the Bones

As the playwright, I worked hard to portray the medical profession as accurately and respectfully as possible. In fact, Dr. Sara was compassionate and intelligent throughout the film - and for me, she represented the medical profession. She ultimately became the heroine of the story with her realization at the end.

In terms of the statement that men were not portrayed in a positive way, I have to say that in creating this story, I did not set out to make a balanced picture of all men and women in all situations. On television, (where most often women are admitted in a state of panic and fear about their labor), there are a lot of stories which leave the impression that both men and the medical profession are, by and large, competent and compassionate. I felt my story about one woman in particular, needed to be told - from a woman's point of view. In our years of touring this story internationally, I have met many women who have corroborated these stories with stories of their own.

Coudesport, Pennsylvania, March 8, 2009

A celebration of International Women’s Day is planned on Sunday, March 8 at the Coudersport Public Library, highlighted by a screening of “Singing The Bones,” a full-length movie that tells the story of three generations of women brought together by a single birth.

The celebration is the brainchild of longtime childbirth educator Donna Batterson, who is the coordinator of the Healthy Beginnings Plus program for Charles Cole Memorial Hospital. She brought the idea to Freda Fultz of A Way Out and Jane Metzger, a Coudersport Library trustee, who enthusiastically agreed to collaborate on this special celebration.

“We wanted to offer a time for women of all generations to join in celebration of this special day,” says Batterson. “We envision it as a time for mothers, daughters and grandmothers to spend time together celebrating our womanhood.”

The movie will be screened at 2:00 p.m. but the doors to the library will open at 1:00 p.m. to allow participants time to view the displays and spend time together. Refreshments will be provided.

International Women’s Day on March 8 is a yearly observance marked by women’s groups around the world, commemorated at the United Nations and designated in many counties as a national holiday.

When women on all continents, often divided by national boundaries and by ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic and political differences, come together to celebrate their Day, they can look back to a tradition that represents at least nine decades of struggles for equality, justice, peace and development.

Inspired by true stories, “Singing The Bones” enlivens debate surrounding a women’s right to control her own destiny and see the birth of a child as a personal, rather than an institutional event. “Singing the Bones” brings Canadian writer-performer Caitlin Hicks’ acclaimed one-woman stage play to film. Hicks plays three characters: Meg, a spirited midwife, Nicole, a feisty young mother pregnant with twins, and Sara, an aging obstetrician. “The interlocking tales of the three women become a single narrative that is not just a woman’s story, but an unforgettable window into the human experience,” says a reviewer from the Mill Valley Film Festival.

The celebration is provided free of charge, Donations are accepted with proceeds going to program costs, A Way Out and the Coudersport Public Library. Reservations are appreciated. Please call the library at 274-9382.

Portland, Maine, September 26, 2008

"Here are some photo's from last night's showing! It was amazing - what a thought provoking movie - we all absolutely LOVED it! Some of us were still talking about it today..... "



On September 26th, in Portland, Maine, a small group hosted by Birthroots gathered to see Singing the Bones as a benefit for the Perinatal Mental Health Alliance of Southern Maine. Katherine O'Connor hosted the event.



In her own words: "After I turned the movie off - there was complete silence in the room and then all at once after a few seconds, these are the words I heard:

"WOW!"
"That was powerful"
"What a beautiful movie"
"I loved the soundtrack"
"It's an interesting view on women and birth - wonderful"

Thank you Caitlin - I echo the above.

I hope you enjoy the photos - we did have one baby - he is 5 weeks old....



Warmly,
Katherine"

Whangarei, NEW ZEALAND September 27, 2007

Singing the Bones screened at St Andrew's Church Hall, Whangarei, New Zealand

"Hi Caitlin

It all went well - I really enjoyed seeing the movie again - as always the comments were varied but I sold all the DVDs so I think we can assume that the response was very positive. I'd like to talk to you about whether I can get more DVDs?

All in all it was a very appropriate way to start our conference!


Jeannette (Lazet)
Host/Presenter