Loyal Daughters and Sons, the annual play examining gender relations at Notre Dame, does not show again until November, but the writers for the 2009 show have already begun conducting interviews and collecting stories for the production.
Sade Murphy and Kevin Stein, who are both juniors and former cast members of the show, are the writers for the 2009 production.
"Content-wise, we are looking for experiences and opinions in the sphere of the following topics: sexual assault, eating disorders, homosexuality, chastity and healthy relationships," Murphy said.
Stein said the show is entirely based on real experiences of students and that the writers are currently looking for students who would like to share their thoughts or stories on the relevant issues.
"We have conducted a few interviews already, but anticipate many more to come in," he said. "We are definitely still looking for students to interview, so anyone should come in and talk to us, even if they don't necessarily think their story or experience is worth hearing - everyone has something worthwhile to offer."
After the writers listen to stories from students this semester, they will spend the summer transforming the collected interviews into scenes that preserve the truth behind the experiences, Murphy said.
"All of the stories we tell are based on testimony from members of the community here," he said. "While we may change some minor facts and names, we do not change what people are saying to us."
Approximately half of the 2009 show will be based on the interviews, while the other half will be come from previous productions of the show, Stein said.
The Department of Film, Television, and Theatre will help the writers refine the scenes into a final script, which will be finished by the end of the summer. Auditions and casting for the show will take place in September for the November show.
Stein said he became involved with Loyal Daughters and Sons because it was an opportunity to make a difference.
"We are giving voice to the students' thoughts and experiences," he said. "It is important to help make this campus a more open place and to get conversation started on sexuality."
In addition to generating conversation, Murphy also said the show promotes a stronger, healthier community.
"I really hope that people take advantage of this show," she said. "Because it's not just some other play, this show is communal, it requires the participation of the community to survive and be successful."
