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

Nancy Donoval

What do you do when one story in your life tries to eat up all the rest? This witty compassionate tale speaks the unspeakable with humor and grace - making a subject that might otherwise seem too painful not only bearable, but as one audience member described it “an experience of exhilarating liberation.” Written and performed by the creator of Minneapolis Fringe Festival hits Dancing Rats & Vampire Moms and Monster Movies with My Undead Dad, Date Rape for Beginners is available for booking by colleges, churches and other organizations and institutions.

“Witty as the best stand-up comedy. Artful, wise, pitch-perfect storytelling.” - Patricia Weaver Francisco

“Nancy Donoval has mastered the art of telling stories that are funny and heart-wrenching at the same time.” - Chicago Reader, Critic’s Choice

“Nancy brings such a warm, down-to-earth presence to this play. 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.” - Elizabeth O’Sullivan

Location:

Social Hall

Schedule:

Friday, February 27, 8:30 pm
Monday, March 2, 8:30 pm
Wednesday, March 4, 8:30 pm
Saturday, March 7, 8:30 pm
Sunday, March 8, 7:00 pm

Intended Audience:

Adults and Teens

Cautions:

As the title suggests, contains mature themes and difficult subject matter, which are handled with care.

Performance Genre(s):

Storytelling, Solo Show, Comedy, Drama

Running Time:

75 minutes

Special Note(s): Nancy Donoval will also be teaching the workshop “Laughing in the Dark: Storytelling, Trauma and Humor” exploring how using humor to transform private pain into public art can offer opportunities for healing to artist and audience. - Tuesday, March 3rd from 7:00 - 9:00 and Saturday, March 7th from 1:00 - 3:00.

Promotional support provided by Northstar Storytelling League, http://northstarstorytelling.org .

Contact:

Nancy Donoval
Email: NancyDonoval@mac.com
Phone: 612-889-4043 (cell)
Website: www.NancyDonoval.com

Cast Bio(s):

Nancy Donoval’s work has been on Minnesota and Chicago Public Radio and she received a 2008 Artist Recognition Grant from VSA Arts of Minnesota. Her one-woman shows Dancing Rats & Vampire Moms and Monster Movies with My Undead Dad played to sold-out houses at the Minnesota Fringe Festival and earned her a “Cream of the Crop” from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Her favorite accolade from an audience member is, “I laughed so hard my cramps went away.”

Nancy specializes in finding humor in the hard stuff. She performs around the country including the being featured at the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tennessee. Other performance venues include the Illinois, Hoosier, Nebraska and Timpanogos Storytelling Festivals, WinterTales in Oklahoma City, New York Storytelling Center, New York Society for Ethical Culture, Washington Storytellers Theater and the WisCon Feminist Science Fiction Convention.

With a Master of Fine Arts in Directing, Nancy is also a respected story coach and consultant. She teaches a wide variety of workshops and classes for artists and non-performers alike. Her consulting work ranges from training executives in presentation skills to helping non-profits clarify their message — for clients such Target Corporation, United Airlines, MenTeach, LISC (Local Initiative Support Corporation), Draft FCB and Leo Burnett. Nancy moved to Minneapolis in 2001 from Chicago where she was executive director of the Wild Onion Storytelling Festival for nine years.

Nancy has two workshops coming up in late March; one on artist vision for individual artists and arts producers/organizers, and one on storytelling as a leadership and persuasion skill in the workplace. For information on these and other performances and workshops, visit www.NancyDonoval.com

Rate this show:

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2 Reviews for Date Rape for Beginners

  1. I laughed, winced, remembered, and afterwards thought a lot. Nancy is a diva storyteller and worth any discomfort this topic may cause you. Her show fosters healing and consciousness raising. I recommend that you overcome your reticence and go see this marvelous performance.

    Comment by Carol McCormick — March 4, 2009 @ 4:01 pm

  2. Nancy Donaval’s performance unfolds so naturally and organically that you soon forget you are listening to a carefully composed narrative. Nancy delivers a bravura performance. Websters’ defines “bravura” as “showing daring and brilliance” and that combination perfectly describes what Nancy does in “Date Rape for Beginners.” Nancy has always been a great humanizer of painful experiences in her personal stories. With “Date Rape for Beginners,” however, she takes transcendance, healing, and the formation of personal power via her storytelling to a whole new level. I hope the news about “Date Rape for Beginners” spreads far and wide and the demand for her performance of it grows in leaps and bounds. It is badly needed.

    Comment by Lennie Major — March 13, 2009 @ 9:15 pm

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