ENTER THE COURTROOM WITH LONG WHARF'S NEW, POWERFUL "THE FORD/HILL PROJECT"

Like a verbal fisticuffs with words instead of boxing gloves, “The Ford/Hill Project” is a confrontation that can literally and figuratively knock you off your feet. The energy and emotion of MaYaa Boateng’s Anita Hill and Christina Kirk’s Christine Blasey Ford are powerful messengers as these two brave women give up their private lives to go pubic to right a wrong before decisions are put into law.

In a new theatrical production created by Elizabeth Marvel and Lee Sunday Evans, and directed by Lee Sunday Evans, Long Wharf Theatre is presenting a unique opportunity to witness the Supreme Court nominations for approval of Amara James Aja’s Clarence Thomas and Roderick Hill’s Brett Cavanaugh with performances September 19-20 at Quinnipiac University Theater and September 25-27 at Southern CT State University’s Garner Recital Hall. in collaboration with Waterwell and in partnership with Quinnipic University, this documentary also includes a talk back and a Decompression Space, both with staffed mental health experts for the audience’s well being directly after the performance. This coveted space for these austere conversations are now open to you to hear the exact testimonies, told as an interplay of words by all the participants, recreating the tensions and antagonisms that occurred thirty years apart, as two women stood tall to accuse in court the nominees and expose their past behavior that disqualified them for public office on the highest court in the land.

Just like a preacher at a wedding could announce “if you have any reason why these two should not be wed, speak now,” Anita Hill and Christine Blasey Ford stood up to state their personal cases, refusing to stay silent without giving their testimony. And they were both vilified for their courage as Brett Cavanaugh and Clarence Thomas were approved, their damaging pasts ignored.

Come yourself and judge their credibility, and hear Clarence Thomas call them “lies” and a “travesty” as he denied any charges of sexual harassment, never threatening her job while Brett Cavanaugh confessed to liking his beer but not to almost raping Christine at a party where she feared for her life. Cavanaugh accused her of being false in one thing and false in everything. He called her “evil.” To these men, their accusers were creating a circus, a lynching, a charade, an unethical sham.

For the women, they were righting a wrong, coming forward to encourage other women to do the same, to acknowledge the most difficult experiences of their lives, even if it meant risking their own dignity. These women were pioneers, exposing their personal pain in a privileged world of white powerful men, to inspire the “Me, Too” movement and expose the Jeffrey Epsteins of this world. Anita Hill and Christine Blasey Ford were noble, calling out the “office wolves” by revealing their personal traumatic experiences.

For tickets ($55, college student $15, K-12 free, limited Pay What You Can ), call the box office at 203-693-1486 or online at longwharf.org.

Stand up and be counted, stand up and vote. Do not stay silent and help to change the world.