How to Defend Yourself

Show Info

Title

How to Defend Yourself

Playwright

Liliana Padilla

Director

Meredith Healy

Stage Manager

Bonnie Ruble

Category

Mainstage

First Rehearsal

December 1

Load In/Tech /Dress

January 30 – February 5

Performances

February 6-8 and 11-14

Roles to be cast

Age (Presentation)

Gender (Presentation)

Description

Diana

She/Her/Hers

Mexican American. Obsessed with guns. Never afraid to go first. Her tough exterior protects tender insides. She loves confrontation except when she's the only one who's made a mistake.

Mojdeh

She/Her/Hers

Iranian American. Just got to college and is trying on new selves. Desperate to lose her virginity and get into sorority. She will do anything to be wanted. Observes others to know what's cool.

Nikki

She/Her/Hers

Person of Color. Wallflower with a vivid inner world. Shes quiet and clocks everything. Over the course of the class, she begins to find her strength and her boldness catapults her to danger.

Brandi

She/Her/Hers

White. VP of sorority and valedictorian of everything. She got a black belt in karate to make sure she never feels vulnerable again. She wants to make everyone feel safe.

Kara

She/Her/Hers

Person of color. Social chair of the sorority. Susannah’s best friend. Her humor and cool are so effortless and laser sharp that you might just believe her when she says she doesn't care.

Andy

He/Him/His

White. Varsity athlete and leader in his fraternity. Earnestly eager to end rape culture and unpack the man box. He tries to use the right words and be sensitive to others; he really tries.

Eggo

He/Him/His

Person of color. Can't wait to not be 20 anymore. He’s pretty confused by all the rules and terrified of rejection. He joined the frat to have friends, they’re okay. It's nice to have a group.

Synopsis

In the immediate aftermath of an assault, a group of college students gather for a DIY self-defense class. This setting quickly becomes a space for channeling their anger, anxiety, trauma, confusion, and desire. In navigating these feelings, the group of strangers unites as a community and works to move forward together. Using humor and candor, Liliana Padilla’s How to Defend Yourself asks us to look beyond the labels of 'perpetrator' and 'survivor,' and to examine the complexities that live in each of us.

Notices

How to Defend Yourself takes place after a sexual assault. It discusses but does not depict sex and sexual violence.

Additional advisories:

Description and aftermath of physical assault.

Discussion and deep exploration of misogyny and sexism.

Mention of eating disorders.

Simulated drug use.

Simulated vomiting and forced vomiting.

Simulated oral sex.

Simulated underage drinking.

This show will return early from winter break for rehearsals beginning on Tuesday, January 13 or Wednesday, January 14.

Please note that the script is available in the theater’s main office for actors to read prior to auditions and callbacks. If you have any questions about the content of the show, please don’t hesitate to contact Director Meredith Healy (meredith-healy@uiowa.edu), Fight and Intimacy Director Cristina Goyeneche (cristina-goyeneche@uiowa.edu), or Stage Manager Bonnie Ruble (bonnie-ruble@uiowa.edu).

Fight Choreography Breakdown

Page	Stage Directions/ Planned Action	Character(s)	Notes
26	Diana throws a punch at the shield. Hard. Diana punches three times-hard. The third knocks Brandi back a bit.	Brandi and Diana	Arm Shield needed
26-27	Mojdeh goes up to the shield. She exhales, nervous, then throws a weak punch. She punches again weakly. Mojdeh punches again. Her fist thwacks the arm shield.	Brandi and Mojdeh	Arm Shield needed
27	Kara approaches the bag. She throttles on it. She takes herself off the bag-energy and rage is still coursing through her whole being.	Kara	Punching bag needed
27-28	Nikki takes a deep breath. Stands by the bag. Throws a punch, her eyes closed. Nikki punches the bag again. Nikki closes her eyes and starts to imagine. She swallows. Nods. She starts to throw a punch. Stops herself. She can't finish. She feels dizzy.	Nikki	Punching bag needed
76	Diana grabs Brandi’s wrist Brandi demos a wrist escape	Diana and Brandi
77	Diana grabs Andy’s wrist. He pulls it away. Zero technique but gets out. Diana grabs Andys wrist again. He gets out pulling. Again. He gets out again. Diana offers her wrist. Andy barely holds her hand. Andy grips her wrist harder. She gets out. Andy punches Diana on her shoulder. She punches back.	Diana and Andy
78	Nikki grips Eggo’s wrist. Eggos gets out. Nikki grips Eggo’s wrist again. He gets out. She gives him a gentle affirming punch tap. Eggos grips Nikkis' wrist. She tries to get out. She can't. Then she gets out. Eggo grips her wrist harder. She gets out. Eggo grips her wrist again. She gets out fast. He does it once more. She gets out again.	Nikki and Eggo
82	Andy straddles Brandis' hips. Brandi taps Andy's thighs twice.	Andy and Brandi	Repeated in Intimacy
82-83	Andy straddles Nikki. Nikki bucks Andy. He flies forward. She captures his arms. She bucks him again. She rolls. It all happens in a split second.	Andy and Nikki
83	Eggo straddles Diana. Diana bucks Eggo. They switch. They do it again.	Eggo and Diana
83	Mojdeh straddles Andy. Andy bucks Mojdeh. They switch. They do it again.	Mojdeh and Andy
88-90	Diana punches the punching bag while talking to Brandi	Diana
89	Kara grabs Brandis arm. Brandi deflects Kara, violently.	Kara and Brandi
90	Kara advances on Diana. Kara pushes Diana. Diana pushes Kara. Kara tackles Diana. They fight and wrestle. Diana punches Kara in the face. She goes down.	Kara and Diana
100	Brandi hands Nikki an open water bottle. Nikki throws the water on Brandi's face.	Brandi and Nikki

Intimacy Choreography Breakdown

Page	Stage Directions/ Planned Action	Character(s)	Notes
7	Diana approaches her (Mojdeh), a playful straddle.	Diana and Mojdeh
7	She (Diana) picks at the zit. Mojdeh shadowboxes out the pain.	Diana and Mojdeh
8	Diana licks her finger, dabs saliva on Mojdeh's wound.	Diana and Mojdeh
31	Brandi and Andy hug	Brandy and Andy
31	Brandi and Eggo side hug	Brandi and Eggo
41	Andy and Mojdeh do close feeding breaths Eggo and Kara do close feeding breaths Diana and Nikki do close feeding breaths	Andy and Mojdeh Eggo and Kara Diana and Nikki
44	Eggo breathes on Karas palms She extends her hands, and he places his hands in her open hands; she breathes on his palms. Kara licks Eggos forearm then coughs and spits.	Eggo and Kara
44	Diana and Nikki rub palms then thread their fingers. Diana rotates Nikkis wrists Diana rolls out Nikkis wrist Diana scratch's Nikkis inner arm, then tickles her elbow, then holds her elbow	Diana and Nikki
44	Andy traces his fingers down Mojdeh's inner elbow to her fingertips Andy massages Mojdeh's hand Andy massages Mojdeh's hand harder	Andy and Mojdeh
46	Kara wiggles her fingers. Kara licks her fingertip.	Kara
52	Throughout the following, the room slowly heats up, the group gathers sexual energy together and anything could break loose. Except for Brandi, who grapples for control.	ALL
58	Mojdeh holds up a bra, pulls her dress down to reveal another	Mojdeh
68	Diana kisses Mojdeh. After a second, Mojdeh recoils	Diana and Mojdeh
82	Andy straddles Brandis' hips. Brandi taps Andy's thighs twice.	Andy and Brandi	Repeated in Fight Choreography
85	Mojdeh is on top of Andy. She swipes an eyelash from Andy's face. She holds it in front of him. Andy concentrates, blows.	Mojdeh and Andy
93	Kara extends her foot to touch Diana's foot while they're laying down. A brief tap.	Kara and Diana
97	Brandi and Kara hug	Brandi and Kara
105-106	Someone approaches Brandi with a red solo cup and pours a drink down her throat. People grind. Someone’s getting fingered in the corner. A boy lifts up a girl’s skirt.	ALL	The specific moments in this final scene will be developed in conversation with the actors. The stage directions involving intimacy are listed to give a sense of potential action.

Important Dates/Holidays

 12/8 Bodhi Day, 12/20 -1/19 Winter Break, 1/14 New Year (Orthodox), 1/14 Tamil Thai Pongal Day, 1/14 Makar Sankranti, 1/16 Lailat al Miraj*, 1/19 Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Observed), 1/20 Spring Classes Begin, 2/1 Thaipusam, 2/2 Groundhog Day, 2/3 Lailat al Bara*, 2/8 Superbowl, 2/14 St. Valentine's Day

* Holidays marked with an asterisk (*) begin at sundown on the previous day.

Callback List

The callback list will be available following Spring General Auditions on Saturday, November 15.

Cast List

The cast list will be posted following the Spring Casting Meeting at approximately 10:30am Friday, November 21.

Contact

Questions or concerns?

Bonnie Ruble, Stage Manager: bonnie-ruble@uiowa.edu

Sammi Lewis, Assistant Stage Manager: samara-lewis@uiowa.edu