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Play tells story of domestic violence, hope for survivors

Published: 12:00 AM, Wed Oct 28, 2009 Play tells story of domestic violence, hope for survivors By Jessica De Vault Staff writer Carolyn Herring-Moore is upfront about her past. She was a victim of domestic violence, enduring a tumultuous marriage to a man who broke her leg, belittled her and abused her children for a decade. It took 10 more years to break free from that violent marriage. But once she healed, she decided to share her story through theater. The result, "Women Shoptalk While Real Men Wait," will be presented twice Saturday at Fayetteville State University's Seabrook Auditorium. "I decided to open my mouth and let people know that you don't have to go through this alone," said Herring-Moore, who is 45. "My play has an essential message, very impacting. There's a lot of comedy, but it's very emotional and inspirational." Herring-Moore, a Colorado native, moved to Fayetteville in February and is a senior mass-communications major at FSU. She wrote the play in 2007 in the hopes of offering support to other victims of abuse. It focuses on the lives of four sisters named Burgundy, Rain, Destiny and Essence, who suffer the tragic loss of their mother, an event that changes everything. Each of the women loses sight of her relationship with God and consequently turns to the wrong man for love, she said. "It's dealing with drug abuse, domestic violence, adultery, suicide and love, in all of the wrong places," Herring-Moore said. Burgundy, the lead character, is a hair shop owner who is being abused by her husband. She falls victim to the beauty shop gossip or "shoptalk." Many of Burgundy's struggles in the play were plucked from Herring-Moore's personal experiences. Like Burgundy, she had her own shop in Colorado Springs and became the topic of her salon's shoptalk when her husband broke her leg in 1994. The fact that much of the play is based on her real life surprised actor Norman Ricks, who plays the role of the jealous and abusive husband. "Coming from a family with six sisters and being a husband and father myself, it's emotional for me," he said. "Learning about (Herring-Moore's) life story let me know that domestic violence can exist in any home." When Herring-Moore talks about her abuse, she's straightforward. She doesn't shy away from the painful details. She's come a long way since those days. She married her husband in 1986 and learned very quickly how to behave around him and others. "I had two different faces," she said. "When he was around, I never talked. I was quiet. When my other friends were around, I was funny and jovial." Her public demeanor, she said, was an act. Behind closed doors, she was terrified and trapped in a violent relationship. "There was no way out. I have felt that way, when I wanted to die or wanted to kill him. I had called police, ran away, started a new life on my own. I know how horrible it is when you feel alone," she said. But in 1994, she met a soldier named Marcus Lahombré Moore. He fell in love with her and vowed to protect her from her husband. Herring-Moore said he gave her the courage to press charges for her leg injury and file for divorce. The horror she endured was unimaginable, but she said it was very difficult to leave her ex-husband. In one last move, she said, her husband kidnapped her 6-month-old daughter, but she got the child back later that day. "You don't understand how bad it is. You can't leave; there's no way out, especially when someone threatens your life and takes your children from you," she said. In 1996, her divorce was final, and she married her current husband in 1997. They are still together. Her happy ending was one that was emphasized in her play. "(Moore) was my knight in shining armor. He was my real man that waited," she said. Ten years passed after her divorce before she felt compelled to write about her life story. She finally wrote the play after her professor at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs encouraged her. Pieces of her favorite productions and films were integrated into the play. The most noticeable influence is Tyler Perry, a popular movie screenwriter, director and playwright. His inspirational productions often deal with themes of spiritual healing. Herring-Moore said she had a chance to meet Perry and was urged by him to tell her story. She and her classmates presented the play in 2007. It has been performed more than a dozen times in Kansas, Missouri and Colorado since its debut. The production also was performed at Fort Carson in Colorado. Herring-Moore said she knew that military audiences could benefit from watching the play. "(The military) has such a high domestic-violence issue, especially with the soldiers coming back from Iraq," she said. To produce her play, she established Oasis Productions, a nonprofit agency that produces inspirational stage plays in Colorado Springs, and later Oasis Productions East in Fayetteville. She will donate a portion of the proceeds to a local domestic violence shelter. The cast includes actor Terry Woods, comedian Nema Williams, R&B singer Danny Clay and gospel artists Zenobia Smith and Letra Davis. Local singers Von Destiny and Jasmine Rose and actor and puppeteer Keith Powell are also taking the stage. Woods, who plays a flamboyant hairdresser, offers some comedic relief, but says playing a role as a gay man helped him heal from his own abuse. "As a young kid, I was sexually abused by one of my male family members. It took me nearly 36 years to get over it," he said. The play encourages victims and abusers of any sort to get help, he said. "This play gets a message out that enough is enough and can be relatable on the male and female sides," he said. "I hope they look at it as a message, not just a play, and see that they may need to seek help." Herring-Moore said she would like to take the play to other cities and write a book about abuse. For now, she is distributing free tickets to women who are dealing with violence abuse. As long as the message gets to those in need, that's what matters, she said. "Victims should see that they aren't alone," she said. "There's a lot of people going through what they went through." Staff writer Jessica De Vault can be reached at devaultj@fayobserver.com or 609-0649. 'Women Shoptalk While Real Men Wait' When: Saturday, Oct. 31 at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Where: Seabrook Auditorium at Fayetteville State University Tickets $15 for the 3 p.m. show, $25 for the 7:30 p.m. show. Visit ptpticketoffice.com or call 580-8753. Tickets are at FSU's ticket office, Simon Temple AME Church and the S&J Gospel Store. Information: Go to LifeAfterAbuse.com