DIY Guide

The Turnaway Play is the theatrical manifestation of the Turnaway Study and is a 70-minute performance piece that embodies humor, drama, audience participation, and testimonials from real study participants. 

The Turnaway Play gives voice to an incredibly important group of women, especially in today’s post-Roe world; those who were turned away and unable to have wanted abortions. 

We are grateful to the study participants for their willingness to share their stories with us. Their courage to share those stories empowers both existing and future generations to come. Hosting a reading of The Turnaway Play brings the science and the stories to a broader audience; reduces abortion stigma; and sparks essential conversation.

• The play can be performed with four, seven or ten actors. A character breakdown and casting notes will be included.

• You will need someone to run the slides during the performance.

• You may want someone to read stage directions, though it’s not necessary.

• The space requirements of the play are minimal, so anything from a theater to your living room can work. It doesn’t have to be fancy, though fancy can be fun too! 

• Consider a community center or an empty storefront. Does it have free parking? Is it near public transportation? Is the venue accessible for people who need a ramp?

• The runtime of the play is 70 minutes, so you don’t even need the space for very long. Factor in time for set up and a post-show discussion, and two hours might do the trick.

[Note: If you are looking to stage a full theatrical production of The Turnaway Play please contact the playwright directly.]

Post-play discussion 

A post-play discussion is a great way to allow the audience to reflect and possibly commit to action. You can choose moderators and/or panelists who will elevate the voices of those most impacted by abortion bans: people who are LGBTQ+ or BIPOC. A member of The Turnaway Play team may also be able to join your post-play discussion. You will be able to indicate your interest after submitting the form. See The Turnaway Play discussion guide for more ideas and audience questions.

Partnerships 

Partnerships can be great for increasing the impact of your play reading. Here are some ideas: 

• Highlight the work of a local abortion fund, abortion care provider or reproductive justice organization. This could take the form of a resource table, an ask for funding, or a printed program with information about the organization.

• Invite an organization to help with the reading and/or the post-play discussion. This could be an abortion access coalition, a women’s fund, or a voting rights organization. Or it could be a student theater club or a professor on your campus who is willing to work with you to make the reading happen.

• Does your state have a ballot initiative or other important work happening? Invite campaign leaders to participate in the post-show discussion or resource table

• Connect with a civic organization like When We All Vote, a local League of Women Voters, or another local group to encourage voter registration and increase attendance

• Ask a local politician, campus leader or influencer to perform one of the parts in the play.

Call to Action 

Consider creating calls to action that are accessible to your audience. You are the expert in your community, but here are some ideas to get you started: 

• Give the audience a chance to share stories about abortion care and reproductive health

• Collect donations for a local or national abortion fund

• Ask audience members to talk to five people in their lives about abortion and the findings from the Turnaway Study

• Share information about how to take action for abortion access on social media

• Set up a resource table with opportunities for audience members to get involved

A play reading can be as simple as people sitting around a table reading the play out loud. But, if you plan to have an audience, some simple staging can be very helpful for getting the story across in an engaging way. Some examples:

• The actors each have a music stand to hold their script. When they are in a scene, they stand at the music stand. When they are not in a scene, they sit. If an actor arrives or leaves a scene, they stand or sit at that point. With this staging, you may want an additional person to read the stage directions to give the audience more context for who the characters are and where the scene takes place.

• Dr. Foster stands at a podium in one part of the stage. The researchers in Oakland are seated at a table or desks in another area of the stage. The women of the study have a third place on the stage. If you also add two or three different lighting looks, the scene transitions become very clear, and you won’t need someone to read stage directions.

• The actors can sit for some characters and stand for others.

The play can be performed by 4, 7, or 10 actors. If the play is performed by four actors, doubling is easiest as follows:

• One actor plays Rhonda, Amy, Brenda

• One actor plays Serena, Angela, Kiara

• One actor play Luisa, Sofia, Martina

• The role of Dr. Foster is not doubled

It is important that the actor who plays Serena identifies as Black and the actor who plays Luisa is Latinx and speaks Spanish. The other characters can be of any race or ethnicity, but the more diversity in your cast, the better the play will represent the full range of experiences with abortion in America. 

The Turnaway Play Characters 

Researchers

Dr. Diana Greene Foster: Demographer and professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco and lead researcher of The Turnaway Study, 50 years old. A great communicator and mentor, Dr. Foster is heartfelt in her convictions but can see all sides of an argument. She has a wonderful sense of humor. 

Luisa: A Mexican American woman from Texas, Luisa is 22 years old. The newest member of the Turnaway Study team, she is young but ambitious and actively figuring out her life plan. She is caught between her family's expectations and finding her own path.

Serena: A Black woman from North Carolina in her late 20s-early 30s, Serena has worked as an interviewer for the Turnaway study for three years. Prior to that she worked as a counselor at an abortion clinic. Serena is mission-driven and has a good sense of humor. She is kind and empathetic but takes charge when needed.

Rhonda: A researcher on the Turnaway Study for the past two years in her mid-20s, Rhonda is outspoken and has a great sense of humor. She loves to tease.

Real women who participated in the Turnaway Study 

Amy: Amy was 28 years old and six weeks pregnant when she had an abortion. A middle class Texan, she is familycentered and religious.

Angela: Angela was 17 years old and 24 weeks pregnant when she was denied an abortion. From Illinois, she is desperate for independence and able to make tough decisions.

Brenda: Brenda was 24 years old and 24 weeks pregnant when she was denied an abortion. A low income New York City native, she struggles with substance abuse and violent relationships. She is smart and angry.

Kiara: Kiara was 26 years old and 13 weeks pregnant when she received an abortion. From Kentucky, she escaped an abusive relationship and is now happily married. She has inner strength and conviction; decisive.

Martina: Martina was 22 years old and nine weeks pregnant when she had an abortion. An Arizona native, she is independent, athletic, and self-aware.

Sofia: Sofia was 19 years old and 26 weeks pregnant when she was denied an abortion. She grew up poor in California. She has a great reserve of inner strength and perseverance, but her dreams have been deferred.tem description