Consent & Sexual Violence

Tape

Dramatic Reading of Tape, by Stephen Belber

Directed by Bryan Doerries

Tape sparks discussions about consent, power dynamics, and sexual assault. These performances are designed to challenge individuals and communities to examine their own core values and pursue positive action. This project has been presented on military installations, university campuses, in shelters and in high schools.

I think that there’s a lot of women out there that don’t come forward with their stories, who don’t openly acknowledge that there are instances that make them uncomfortable, because we are kind of expected to protect ourselves.

Student, University of Pittsburgh, 2016

Josh Hamilton, Kathryn Erbe, and Brendan Griffin perform Tape at Kenyon College

About the play

Tape by Stephen Belber

Two best friends from high school—Jon and Vince—reunite ten years later at a motel in Michigan. Over the course of an evening, Vince pressures Jon to admit that he date-raped Amy Randall, a girl they both dated in high school, only then to reveal that he has recorded their entire conversation. Vince then uses the tape to force Jon to personally apologize to Amy that evening, after inviting her to join them for dinner. Differing memories of the event collide, and the complexities and social pressures of the relationships are revisited, in a final confrontation in which Jon, Amy, and Vince argue over the truth of what happened that night.