“Voices of Men”
An Educational Comedy by Ben Atherton-Zeman
This multi-media play deals with several
important issues:
–
Sexual
assault and consent
–
Dating
violence and domestic violence
–
Sexual
harassment and objectification
The play uses humor
and celebrity male voice impressions
to bring these topics to audiences in a way that minimizes male
defensiveness. Each male character in
the play is forced to deal with one of the issues listed above – in doing so,
they come to the realization that they are, in fact, both part of the problem
and part of the solution. The process
each male character goes through has led many boys and men to become involved
in both self-reflection and in violence prevention efforts.
New – Video Excerpts: Click below for video clips from “Voices
of Men:”
Introduction (high resolution),
Introduction (low resolution)
Rocky (high resolution) Rocky (low resolution)
Bond (high resolution) Bond (low resolution)
Austin (high resolution) Austin (low resolution)
Conclusion (high resolution) Conclusion (low resolution)
“Voices
of Men” is ideal for a special program at a college, assembly at a high school,
conference or community presentation.
The play is supplemented by educational
messages projected on a screen behind the actor – in between characters, video clips depicting violence
prevention efforts are shown. Because
some of the videos contain representations of violence (including 911 tapes,
PSAs, still photos and fictional representations of violence), care should be
shown and warnings given to audience members before viewing “Voices of Men.”
“How
on earth did you do that?…I will highly recommend ‘Voices of Men’…whatever I
can do to mainstream this presentation and its 
messages…” -
“Not only highly informative, but also quite
entertaining…Your use of humor and portrayal of familiar characters from films was
very effective in capturing the attention of students…without sounding
‘preachy.’” - Domestic Violence
Services,
“Students raved about your performance…You
brilliantly interspersed comic antics with the brutal harshness and violence
that underlies many of the…social behaviors in our culture.” -
“I like the way you combine the specific examples
from film and use the character’s voices to reframe what we’ve seen a million
times without recognizing it as coercion, sexism and other building blocks for
violence.”
-
Contact
Ben Atherton-Zeman at (978) 263-3254 or
benazeman@hotmail.com for
booking information.
“Excellent and extremely motivational.” -
“Your
presentation was perfect…your spirit of equality and integrity shines right
through you and the work you do.” -
“Excellent speaker…effective and enjoyable.” -
Beta Theta Pi Fraternity,
“You are a ‘master teacher’ and hold a wealth of
information.” – St. George’s Episcopal Church,
“Innovative and highly effective…an engaging and
dynamic presentation. By utilizing all
sources of media, Mr. Atherton-Zeman demonstrates that he understands his
audience’s needs and brings a 21st century twist that many
participants should find engaging…The combination of appropriate humor and
seriousness, fun and hard facts, provides a unique and creative approach to
educating audiences about violence against women.” - Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault
“Educational, humorous and
dynamic performance…many students and faculty found it impressive as well as
informative...helpful and engaging. It
was evident that you care deeply about the issues you presented, and were very
knowledgeable about the subject.” -
“Too often, males who wish
to advocate against intimate partner violence have struggled with wondering how
they could help. Your presentation did a
wonderful job of inviting men into the movement, asking them to look critically
at their own values and behaviors, and giving them a voice for facilitating
social change.” - Domestic Violence
Services,
“I thought it was amazing the way you were able to
present a very important and serious topic and add humor and characters that
captivated my interest. I think it would
be a great program to bring to a 
college campus because I think the way you presented
it is a way that students can relate to and enjoy. Often times this topic
is presented to students in such a dramatic and serious tone, that males
sometimes feel threatened and attacked. I think your presentation would
relate more to the male students in a less threatening way.” - Wayne State,
“The messages conveyed in
your skit are seriously important, yet tactfully delivered in a comedic
format…Where subject matter becomes difficult to digest, you boom back into the
room wearing purple velvet, ruffles and a wig…You were a hard act to follow in
my class the following day. ‘Voices of
Men’, along with your involvement as spokesperson for the National Organization
for Men Against Sexism, are the very first attempts of which I am aware that
reach men in a non-threatening, non-blaming, and effective manner. I personally would like to see this skit
presented on a reoccurring schedule…The message that (Voices of Men) conveys is
so very simple…let’s hear men speak out against violence against women!” -
Ben Atherton-Zeman has thirteen years
of experience working at domestic violence programs and rape crisis
centers. In addition to performing
“Voices,” he is also available for keynote addresses, workshop facilitation and
ongoing consulting. To find out more
information about booking, call Ben Atherton-Zeman at (978) 263-3254, or email benazeman@hotmail.com. “Voices of Men,” whenever possible, is
presented in cooperation with local domestic violence programs and rape crisis
centers.