PORTLAND, Maine—October 14, 2009—Add Verb Productions, the Portland-based
nonprofit that uses live theatre for health and wellness education, recently presented
its newest program, Major Medical Breakthrough, at two conferences: The 14th
International Conference on Violence, Abuse and Trauma in San Diego, CA and The
Family Violence Prevention Fund’s 5th Biennial National Conference on Health and
Domestic Violence in New Orleans, LA on September 26 and October 9, respectively.
Major Medical Breakthrough, written by Cathy Plourde with support from The Bingham
Program, features two actors and multimedia as a call to action for the health care
sector to examine its role in detecting and preventing interpersonal violence (IPV). The
Centers for Disease Control estimates that IPV and sexual assault affect nearly 32
million Americans annually, and that the health consequences of trauma over a
lifespan are chronic and devastating. Yet it is estimated that fewer than 10 percent of
primary care physicians routinely screen for IPV.

“In Maine alone, according to the Department of Public Safety, we experience a
domestic assault every 96 minutes. The medical community is the single most
underutilized force in the fight against domestic violence,” said Add Verb’s executive
director and playwright Plourde. “It was thrilling to step onto such large stages to talk
to the medical community about the importance of screening for IPV. We were able to
demonstrate Add Verb’s unique way of breaking the ice through theatre—we strive to
make this topic accessible, respectful, and compelling.”

The Major Medical Breakthrough program is primarily utilized for continuing
professional education for practicing physicians and nurses, and as an alternative to a
traditional lecture for first- and second- year preclinical medical students. It is available
for booking year-round, nationally.

“I have worked in the field of violence and abuse professionally for over 15 years, and
have tried repeatedly to train and actively engage my colleagues in this area,” said one
conference attendee, a practicing physician. “This dramatic presentation is a
refreshing new way to educate and engage physicians.”

On January 25, 2010, The University of New England will present Major Medical
Breakthrough. For more information, contact Add Verb Productions at 207-772-1167.
The Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma (IVAT) is an international resource and
training center at Alliant International University. IVAT’s mission is to provide
professional training and information dissemination to improve the quality of life for
those affected by violence, abuse, and trauma on local, national, and international
levels. More information: www.ivatcenters.org

The 5th Biennial National Conference on Health and Domestic Violence aims to
advance the health care system’s response to domestic violence. The conference
attracts the nation’s leading medical, public health and family violence experts from
across the U.S. with increased international participation. More information:
www.fvpfhealthconference.org

ADD VERB PRODUCTIONS CALLS YOUTH WRITERS TO ACTION

PORTLAND, Maine —Sept. 14, 2009 — The Telling Room and Add Verb Productions are teaming up this fall to work with students on a project that has national attention. “Proud to be an Ally: Playwriting for Queer and Allied Youth Activism” will teach students to create original performance pieces to address how allies can make schools and communities safe and caring.

Workshops are for ages 14-24, October 15, 29, and November 5, 12, 19 from 3-5 PM.

According to the most recent School Climate Survey, nearly 45 percent of students reported being physically harassed, while 22 percent reported being physically assaulted at school in the past year because of their sexual orientation.

“The urgent need for a community dialogue about these issues is ever-present,” says Cathy Plourde, playwright and executive director of Add Verb Productions. “We are excited to partner with The Telling Room, a wonderful organization dedicated to engaging youth writing, to bring this cutting-edge project to more Maine students.” Plourde will facilitate the workshop process with help from Add Verb and Telling Room staff, area college students, and actors.

Post-workshop, participants may premier their work live at a Maine performance, while a written version may also be included in publication of a national anthology of performance pieces on cultivating allies in schools and on campuses. The anthology is slated for publication in Fall 2010.

Earlier workshop submissions have been shown at the 2008 Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network’s National Summit in Portland, ME. Additionally, the project has appeared on MTV’s website, has been presented at local awareness events and fund-raisers, and most recently was featured at a national roundtable of LGBT & Allied youth theatre programs from around the country at the Association of Theatre in High Education’s 2009 conference in New York City.

About Add Verb Productions: Theatre for Health & Wellness Education

Add Verb Productions addresses health and social issues through live theatre, with the goal of building stronger, healthier communities. Add Verb’s three nationally touring plays, The Thin Line, You the Man, and Major Medical Breakthrough, address the complex issues of eating disorders, interpersonal violence, and the health care sector’s underutilized role in violence intervention, respectively. Each performance is followed by a panel discussion comprised of local advocates, counselors, and medical experts that allow audience interaction and community discussion. The productions have been presented across the country at middle schools, high schools, colleges, community centers, medical schools, military bases, and conferences.

For more information, visit www.addverbproductions.com

About The Telling Room

The Telling Room is a nonprofit writing program in Portland, Maine, dedicated to young writers and storytellers between the ages of 8 and 18. The Telling Room’s goal is simple: to meet each student’s passion for writing with equal enthusiasm, to provide role models for those looking to further their writing, and to honor the act of storytelling as a vital means of expression and community building.

For more information, visit www.tellingroom.org

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PORTLAND, Maine — July 22, 2009 — Add Verb Productions, a downtown Portland-based
nonprofit that provides theatre for health and wellness education, will perform its touring
production, You the Man, at the 6th Annual San Francisco Theater Festival on Sunday, July 26,
2009. A free one-day celebration of live theatre will also feature outdoor performances of
Wicked and Beach Blanket Babylon, and will be hosted by David Alan Grier.

“This is an exciting opportunity to show our educational programming at such a prestigious
event,” said Add Verb’s executive director and playwright Cathy Plourde. “We are delighted to
be among such talented theatre groups and provided a chance to expand our audience.”

You the Man is a 45-minute educational performance piece that addresses unhealthy
relationships, dating violence, and sexual assault. By avoiding shaming, blaming or victimizing,
the show instead engages young men and women in preventing sexual assault and dating
abuse while providing a model for empathetic male voices. The show is free and begins at 1:15
PM at the Yerba Buena Room of the Westfield Metreon (2nd floor), in downtown San Francisco.

The 6th Annual San Francisco Theater Festival consists of 130 shows on 17 stages and will take
place on Sunday, July 26, 2009 at the Yerba Buena Gardens, YB Center for the Arts, Zeum,
Metreon, the Museum of the African Diaspora, and the new Contemporary Jewish Museum,
from 11am-5pm. Yerba Buena Gardens is located between Mission & Folsom, Third & Fourth
Streets in San Francisco.

PORTLAND, Maine —July 14, 2009 — Add Verb Productions, a downtown Portland-based nonprofit that uses live theatre for health and wellness education, announced today that an anonymous donor has pledged an unrestricted gift of $75,000 over three years.

“Add Verb is absolutely thrilled and invigorated to have this support,” said Add Verb’s executive director and playwright Cathy Plourde. “Today’s young people face increasingly complex, emotionally charged, and controversial issues that are oftentimes met with silence or indifference by their community. This gift, along with our other wonderful support, will allow us to help communities talk about and find support on issues such as dating violence and eating disorders.”

Add Verb is also supported by the Bingham Program, Maine Community Foundation, National Recreation Foundation, the van Otterloo Family Foundation, and the Robbins-DeBeaumont Foundation, among others. Each of the organization’s three nationally-touring plays help to break the ice on issues that are often difficult to discuss: eating disorders and dating/domestic violence.

The unrestricted gift, received from the donor advised fund of the Calvert Social Investment Foundation, will enable Add Verb to expand its programming across Maine, as well as move forward with plans to design a curriculum supplement that follows National Health Education Standards for use in middle and high school classrooms. A new play for high school and college audiences about substance abuse is in development and tentatively slated for preview in the fall of 2010.

About Add Verb Productions: Theatre for Health & Wellness Education
Add Verb Productions tackles difficult social issues through provocative theatre performances, thereby building stronger, healthier communities. Add Verb’s three nationally touring plays, The Thin Line, You the Man, and A Major Medical Breakthrough, address the complex issues of eating disorders, interpersonal violence, and the health care sector’s underutilized role in violence intervention, respectively. Each performance is followed by a panel discussion comprised of local advocates, counselors, and medical experts that allow audience interaction and community discussion. The productions have been presented across the country at middle schools, high schools, colleges, community centers, medical schools, military bases, and conferences.
For more information, visit www.addverbproductions.com
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