Dallas’ New Musical Raises Curtain on Sexual Violence and Broken System

Musical theater has a history of bringing social issues center stage. Through song and dance, productions like Rent, American Idiot and Rocky Horror Picture Show, amongst others, give voice to segments of society that are struggling to be heard or understood.
Somehow, through the format of a musical, an awareness rises within an audience and a dialog begins amongst a larger demographic. In “Broken the Musical,” a new art performance written, produced and debuting in Dallas, the story unfolds with familiar dramatic themes – tragedy, justice and healing. But the conversation it inspires is new territory for musical theater: how does one recover from the trauma of a sexual assault, and what is society’s role in that process?
With original music by Aaron Fryklund, a fixture in the local theater scene, Broken follows the path of Mona, played by Molly Pope, as she suffers a sexual assault and then grapples with repairing her shattered life. Part of that process includes her pursuit of justice through the legal system, spotlighting some of the common challenges faced by many in a similar position today that inspired Creator, Writer and Executive Producer Monica Martino to raise the curtain on an often overlooked reality.  “I was just sitting at home watching the news and heard a story about how many untested rape kits there are in the country,” said Martino. “I thought ‘Wow. Something really needs to be done about this.’”

Local actress Molly Pope stars as Mona,
the main character struggling to repair her
shattered life and heal.

In fact, a recent blog post on D Magazine’s FrontBurner states that not only do more than 100,000 untested rape kits sit in evidence across the country, but some 4,000 of those can be attributed to recent discoveries here in Dallas alone. While Martino’s musical intends to open conversation about why this is the case, what it means for victims and how it can be rectified, it also emphasizes the power of the human spirit to overcome a deeply personal, damaging event and triumph in life once again.
This new production debuts at Gilley’s Dallas on July 25 with an Opening Night Black Tie Gala in partnership with the Dallas Area Rape Crisis Center (DARCC), whose mission is to provide a comprehensive and compassionate response to individuals impacted by sexual assault through advocacy, education and prevention.

Fifty percent of ticket sales from the premiere and donations from viewers through the run of show will be given to the center to help those in the Dallas Fort-Worth area who are victims of rape.
Are you ready to join the conversation?
WHERE: Lone Star Room at Gilley’s Dallas, 1135 S Lamar St, Dallas, TX 75215
WHEN: July 25 through Aug. 17
TICKETS & SHOWTIMES: www.brokenthemusical.com
“Broken the Musical” contains material that may be sensitive for some audiences. No one under 17 is admitted without a parent or guardian present.
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