NEWS & BLOG

29 Oct

Posted at 13:58h in Dispatches from Beyond Incarceration, One Billion Rising, V-Day

From August 26th to the 31st, I had the incredible opportunity to facilitate a transformative training session at the Mariandale Retreat Center in Ossining, New York. This experience was not only a professional milestone but also a deeply personal journey, especially as I worked with 21 formerly incarcerated women—some of whom I’ve known for years and have lived alongside during my 39 years of incarceration. The combination of shared history and the serene environment created a powerful atmosphere for healing and growth. The Mariandale Retreat Center Mariandale Dominican Sisters retreat center nestled in the picturesque Hudson Valley, is a hidden gem...

22 Oct

Posted at 18:05h in Dear Everything, Newsletter, V-Day

Next stop, BAM in NYC Photos: Donna Permell (Atlanta), Alexander Tamargo/Getty (Miami), Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty (Los Angeles), Brandon Cruz (Salt Lake City) Endless gratitude to our cast, creatives, crew, youth council, activists, choirs, funders, host committees, everyone at V-Day and ART, and the audiences who made it all possible! Dear Everything was created to be theater for the people! 4 CITIES, 3000 PEOPLE, 18 CLIMATE GROUPS FUNDED To the creative team behind this piece, V (formerly Eve Ensler), Diane Paulus, Justin Tranter, Caroline Pennell, Eren Cannata, Idina Menzel, and Daniel Crean. To our cast (Terence Archie, Brittany Campbell, Luke Ferrari, Paravi, Crystal Monee Hall, Laurel Harris,...

26 Aug

Posted at 08:00h in Newsletter, One Billion Rising, V-Day

In honor of the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Ashé Cultural Arts Center will produce Swimming Upstream: The Katrina Monologues at the Mahalia Jackson Theater. This powerful stage production shares the true stories of women navigating the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita—stories of survival, displacement, return, and transformation—through spoken word, song, and movement. Originally produced by Carol Bebelle and playwright V (formerly Eve Ensler) in partnership with V-Day and the Ashé Cultural Arts Center, Swimming Upstream was first performed at the Superdome in 2008 to honor the women of New Orleans and the Gulf South post Katrina, in a celebration...

14 Aug

Posted at 15:30h in Newsletter, One Billion Rising, V-Day

On the fourth anniversary of the 2021 Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, we stand with the women – and all vulnerable groups – of Afghanistan against imperialism, militarism, fundamentalism, and fascism. Since 2021, the Taliban has targeted women, destroying their right to education, autonomy, and the most fundamental human rights. Women and girls in Afghanistan can no longer attend school, they’re banned from almost all jobs, including medical training, and are banned from most public spaces. Girls are forced into child marriage and face a devastating mental health crisis. The female suicide rate in Afghanistan remains among the highest in the world. We...

14 Aug

Posted at 14:06h in Afghan Women Speak: Stories from Inside Afghanistan, Afghanistan, One Billion Rising, V-Day

This month will mark the 4th anniversary of the Taliban’s domination of Afghanistan. For many, Afghanistan’s crisis is an "old story." It is not breaking news anymore, not exciting enough for headlines, because our country has been in conflict for more than four decades, used again and again as a proxy battleground for the interests of powerful nations. In August 2021, after 20 years of NATO and international presence in the name of “fighting terrorism,” the fate of our people was once again handed to the Taliban. Through a signed agreement, they were effectively reinstalled. Since that day, they have stripped...

08 Aug

Posted at 12:12h in Press Releases, V-Day

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis | [email protected], [email protected] Alex Cutler | Lauren Duffy I Mariam Ahmed DEAR EVERYTHING A MUSICAL UPRISING FOR THE EARTH ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL DATE FOR U.S. TOUR SEPTEMBER 25 IN ATLANTA PRODUCED BY V-DAY IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE AMERICAN REPERTORY THEATER WRITTEN BY TONY AWARD WINNER V (FORMERLY EVE ENSLER) DIRECTED BY TONY AWARD WINNER DIANE PAULUS MUSIC BY GRAMMY NOMINEE JUSTIN TRANTER, CAROLINE PENNELL & EREN CANNATA LYRICS BY JUSTIN TRANTER, CAROLINE PENNELL AND V (FORMERLY EVE ENSLER) WITH CONTRIBUTIONS BY TONY AWARD WINNER IDINA MENZEL ORCHESTRATIONS BY DANIEL CREAN Tour Kicks Off at The Eastern In Atlanta, GA and will Travel To Miami, Los Angeles and...

07 Aug

Posted at 20:03h in Afghan Women Speak: Stories from Inside Afghanistan, One Billion Rising, V-Day

For more than forty years, Afghanistan has been the battleground for proxy wars, exploited by global and regional powers at the expense of its people. This long history of conflict has left the country devastated — physically, economically, and emotionally. Entire generations have grown up in war, poverty, and displacement, deprived of the basic right to live in dignity. Yet the suffering of Afghans has not been limited to within their borders. Throughout these four decades, neighboring countries, especially Iran, have treated Afghan refugees with ongoing cruelty and discrimination. Sadly, this has remained a largely ignored and unspoken issue on the international...

31 Jul

Posted at 13:59h in Newsletter, V-Day

DEAR EVERYTHING A MUSICAL UPRISING FOR THE EARTH ANNOUNCES U.S. TOUR On the heels of its sold out, one-night-only show at Terminal 5 earlier this year, Dear Everything, a musical uprising for the Earth, is coming to three U.S. cities this Fall: Miami Beach; Los Angeles; and Salt Lake City. Dear Everything tells an urgent story driven by galvanizing and emotional pop and folk music, that speaks to the dialectic of our times—adults focused on surviving the now as youth hold a fierce eye on the future. With empathy and outrage it addresses the most pressing issue of our day—the climate crisis. The U.S. tour is...

31 Jul

Posted at 13:54h in Press Releases, V-Day

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis | [email protected], [email protected] Alex Cutler | Lauren Duffy I Mariam Ahmed DEAR EVERYTHING A MUSICAL UPRISING FOR THE EARTH ANNOUNCES U.S. TOUR  PRODUCED BY V-DAY IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE AMERICAN REPERTORY THEATER WRITTEN BY TONY AWARD WINNER V (FORMERLY EVE ENSLER) DIRECTED BY TONY AWARD WINNER DIANE PAULUS MUSIC BY GRAMMY NOMINEE JUSTIN TRANTER, CAROLINE PENNELL & EREN CANNATA LYRICS BY JUSTIN TRANTER, CAROLINE PENNELL AND V (FORMERLY EVE ENSLER) WITH CONTRIBUTIONS BY TONY AWARD WINNER IDINA MENZEL ORCHESTRATIONS BY DANIEL CREAN Tour Kicks Off in Miami Beach and travels to Los Angeles and Salt Lake City July 31, 2025 (New York, NY) - On the...

03 Jul

Posted at 11:24h in City of Joy, V-Day

From Survivor to Leader in a Time of Conflict: 84 Women Graduate from the City of Joy Photo: Carlos Schuler It was with emotion that the City of Joy concluded our 27th training session in women's leadership and emotional healing on 27 June. Since the opening of the City of Joy, a total of 2,322 young women have graduated, transforming their pain into power. This session was especially significant because on 14 February, the city of Bukavu fell to the AFC/M23 rebel group. Tensions had been escalating since early January, and we took every precaution to keep the women safe, including a contingency plan...