Kickstarter

The Goal of this project is to launch the use nationally and internationally of the original Scottish play, To Kill A Kelpie (inspired by the work of the organization Stop the Silence: Stop Child Sexual Abuse, Inc., www.stopcsa.org), by theatre and community groups for the purpose of raising mass awareness and action regarding the prevention of and healing from child sexual abuse (CSA). 

The play has thus far been performed in Scotland and across the U.S. (San Francisco, Chicado, D.C.), including on Off-Broadway in NYC in partnership with community-based organizations and national and international partner groups. In September 2012, the play will go to San Diego as a part of the 17th annual international Interpersonal Violence and Trauma (IVAT) Conference and as a part of the National Partnership to End Interpersonal Violence (NPEIV). The performances at the conference will include an after-show discussion (as has been true of all the performances in the U.S. to date) as well as information on how those at the conference can promote and use the play to raise awareness in their individual communities. Marketing and informational materials will accompany the performances that tell audiences and community group members how to access and use the play in one of its various available forms: original stage cast, community-based organizational use of the play, or movie version.

Play description: When twin brothers, Dougal and Fin, reunite following the death of their uncle, they share the day they have always hoped would, and would never, happen. Retelling his gruesome tales of a child-devouring monster – The Kelpie – the men talk to the wee boys they once were, shedding stoicism and sobriety in an isolated Scottish croft. With the rambunctious humor of those who have lived the unlivable, To Kill Kelpie journeys through a family album filled with life shaping events and conflicting memories, deftly handling huge themes and fine details with an equal measure of care. Rich in Scottish culture and mythology, Matthew McVarish’s searingly honest and uplifting script tells a universal story without borders.

By (click the following link to hear the playwright talk about the play) Matthew McVarish.  Produced by Stop the Silence: Stop Child Sexual Abuse, Inc.