On January 5 and 6, the Silverado theatre troupe put on a student directed one-act festival. Each show was beautiful and done to the best of their ability. However, I had the pleasure of being cast in a show entitled "Don't U Luv Me?" directed by my friend and fellow Odyssey writer, Sabrina Galaviz.
This one-act was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done. I played the role of Angela, a sophomore in high school who starts dating the hot and popular senior boy, CJ. Their relationship, while not the best, seems great… until it turns abusive. Physically, emotionally, and sexually.
Yes, I played a girl in an abusive relationship. One of my best friends played the boy that had to abuse me. This play was so tough at certain points.
I have no experience with this sort of stuff. I’ve never been in the sort of abusive relationship described within the play. I’ve never been afraid for my life the way that Angela is. No matter how much character work I did or how much I got into Angela’s head, I could never truly bring to light the kind of things that actually happen.
One of the reasons this play is so groundbreaking is because it's about a topic not many people talk about. Abuse within relationships is treated as a taboo subject, especially abuse within teen relationships. Very few people know how to deal with such relationships. Very few people are taught that it's wrong.
Abuse, no matter what form it's in, is horrible. Physical abuse is the most prominent since it leaves behind evidence. If your partner has ever hit, slapped, kicked, choked, cut, or otherwise harmed you, it's abuse. Even if it happens once. Violence in relationships isn't healthy. It's not supposed to happen.
Emotional and mental abuse is a little harder to pinpoint. It can look like anything from insults to manipulation to telling you the things you can and cannot do. It can even be your partner blackmailing you. None of this is healthy in a relationship. Unnatural control is not part of a healthy relationship.
A healthy relationship is built on trust and communication. Yes, you will fight, but everyone does that. Hurting you emotionally or physically isn't the right way to go, and if you hurt someone physically or emotionally, that is not the right way to go. It's horrible. Don't do it, and don't let others do it to you.
I’m a little sad this one-act is over. As intense as it was, it was so much fun to be a part of. I loved being able to bring this character to life and I loved working with such an amazing cast and director. I hope anyone that saw it and anyone that reads this article remembers what they saw or read and takes it with them for a long time.