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(12 votes, average: 4.83 out of 5)

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13 Reviews for Date Rape for Beginners: A Seriously Funny Tale of Trauma and Recovery

1. I have seen a lot of Nancy Donoval’s shows but this may be the most powerful one yet. A mesmerizing hour that arouses many emotions - yet pity is never one of them. A story of courage, confronting demons, placing blame where it belongs, and triumphing. I would recommend this show to anyone high school age or above.

   Comment by August Berkshire — May 25, 2008 @ 1:27 am

2. I started to write ‘Incredible’ but it’s not - it’s a very credible story - Nancy has done a masterful job of taking us with her into a horrific experience and showing us how she dealt with it.

   Comment by Matt Alspaugh — May 25, 2008 @ 2:00 am

3. Absolutely a tour de force! The kind of hilarious humor blended with unflinching honesty that can only come from someone with a keen observer’s eye, a brilliant self-examining intelligence, and a deeply compassionate heart. The storyline does sometimes pass through dark places, but the audience is always just fine, even laughing, in Nancy’s very capable storyteller hands. Do not miss this show!

   Comment by Patricia Drury — May 25, 2008 @ 2:32 am

4. Well written.
   A very engaging storyteller with a great story to tell.

   Comment by Dean H. — May 26, 2008 @ 7:26 am

5. I saw this a few years ago when she did it for the fringe and it’s even more moving the second time around! An engaging story, well told, that every college coed should hear! Wonderful, wonderful job!

   Comment by Vickijoan — May 26, 2008 @ 3:51 pm

6. Nancy Donoval finds the poignancy in the darkest moments of life and brings forth the story behind those moments with a phenomenal balance of pathos and humor. You not only see deeply into her once-wounded, ever-healing heart, but into your own as well. She makes you face and acknowledge both the existence and the validity of the sense of irrevocable loss and its complementary need for hope inherent in so many powerful human experiences. She teaches and entertains skillfully. It’s always worthwhile to hear what she has to say.

   Comment by Sid Korpi — May 26, 2008 @ 8:10 pm

7. This was a really excellent performance that deeply moved my core. Anyone that has experienced date rape, or has been in a horrible marriage with an addict should hear her story of recovery. For me she captured so many of the things encountered on that path.

   Comment by Liz Floyd — May 28, 2008 @ 6:54 pm

8. I add my voice to the chorus of kudos for this performance that balances comedy and tragedy and is a model of turning trauma into a compelling piece of art. Bravo, brave Nancy

   Comment by Joan Calof — May 31, 2008 @ 2:25 pm

9. Nancy brings such a warm, down-to-earth presence to this play. It was perfect. She puts rape in the framework of a whole life. A funny life. A life of love, and longing and art. I found myself nodding — a lot. And I noticed that the woman in front of me was nodding a lot, too. There are a lot of people in my life that I want to bring to this play. And they can’t come to the last show today, so I’ll keep my eye out for more chances to see it.

   Comment by Elizabeth O'Sullivan — May 31, 2008 @ 3:11 pm

10. Nancy’s telling of this story was funny, sad, poignant, educational, and entertaining. I enjoyed it and it also made me think. PS Don’t change the ending.

    Comment by Liz Hill — May 31, 2008 @ 3:54 pm

11. Nancy, as the heroine of her story, goes into great detail explaining the complexities of herself and her situation. For example, she only drank ELEVEN SHOTS that fateful evening because, as an actress, she may one day have to play a drunk. She also expects us to believe that in
    spite of her extreme intoxication she remembers everything that happened, as evidenced by the fact that she remembers what she was wearing. The villain, Eddie the Rapist, on the other hand, receives the benefit of virtually no character development. He is a one-dimensional character with no good traits, no extenuating circumstances, no complexities. This makes him easy to hate, if you buy the premise. I would not consider this a good educational tool for people of any age and I did not find it very entertaining either.

    Comment by Paula — May 31, 2008 @ 10:26 pm

12. There are apparently two Paulas writing reviews of Spirit in the House shows, both of us up until now only signing our first names. I’ve seen one other review posted under the name Paula that I know I didn’t write, for “A Quiet Storm.” There was nothing offensive about the review, so the confusion did not bother me. Until now.

    As the president of Northstar Storytelling, I believe you review unto others as you would have others review unto you. I do this not just because I don’t want to hurt other people or stymie their creative expression - though I don’t - but because I am aware of my own limitations as a listener. When I fail to remember this, I become a person I do not like - in print no less - a far worse fate than quietly enduring a performance I did not enjoy or understand.

    Still, all artists who work with controversial material manage to offend someone. The good ones know how not to take such comments personally and use them to improve their ability to reach the tough audience - in this case, the one that is slow to “buy the premise,” but quick to blame the victim.

    And Nancy is that good. So despite the fact that I don’t want to be associated with the above review in any way shape or form, I believe she will - as the saying goes - see the gift in it.

    Comment by Paula Reed Nancarrow — June 1, 2008 @ 9:59 pm

13. This is a must-see for all people. We are facing a movement where bit by bit the dream of a community that joins hands and screams NO MORE RAPE! can only become a reality if we first face its overwhelming predominance in our society. What a risk - great way at creating trust between the audience and teller before the show - chocolate works! The tale drew you in and out of the hurt, and left me, the hearer, with hope as well as a responsibility to act. Thanks - well done!

    Comment by Susan Pederson — June 3, 2008 @ 10:34 pm

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