One woman's shift from pro-choice to pro-life is illustrated in a new show opening this weekend with Morningstar Productions. Based on actual events, The Other Side of the Fence tells the story of Abby Johnson--a former director of Planned Parenthood who had become a pro-life advocate. She wrote a book about it.
I'm pro-choice. I would be hesitant to think that I'd enjoy any play about the subject produced on the stage of a church auditorium. Atwood has, however, proven in the past that he's a good playwright, He understands that you can't really write a play about an issue . . . so he's telling the story of a woman who changed her perspective. It's a nice approach, particularly as Shannon Tyburski will be playing Abby Johnson for this stage adaptation. Tyburski is an excellent actress who should be able to bring out the humanity in the role quite beautifully. So even on the off chance that Atwood's script leans off in a direction of being preachy, Tyburski is a good enough actress to put forth a compelling performance that could make this an interesting drama even for those who might find it kind of weird going to a show in a church.
And if there's anything that we can learn from a federal government shutdown it's that those of us from both extremes really just need to sit down and try to relate to each other. I'm not saying it's going to happen. I'm just saying that plays like this about a switch in perspective are kind of important to a greater degree of understanding.
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The Other Side of the Fence runs October 4th - 13th at the Eastbrook Church Theatre on 5358 North Green Bay Avenue. For ticket reservations, call 414-228-5220. For more information, visit Morningstar online.
