The Abortion Chronicles is a series of people telling stories (theirs or someone else's), strung together with the concept of a waiting room at a local clinic. The basement room at Haus of Loring looks very much like a drab clinic, industrial walls, gray carpet, and a saggy but comfortable couch. Dana Lee Thompson and Anthony Burton play employees at the clinic who welcome the women in, and also tell a few stories of what it's like to work at a clinic that provides abortions. The women (and a male partner or two) are called into the waiting room, and tell their story. Every story is different - health challenges for the mother or baby, lack of support to care for a child, or failed birth control. But every story is the same - "I'm pregnant, and I can't be." Facts and figures don't tell the full story, it's only through real human experiences that we can truly understand this or other issues. The dozen or so stories are beautifully and honestly told over about 75 minutes or so, and listening to them, you can't help but feel compassion for these women as they make the difficult but right choice for themselves, their bodies, their families.
The intimate performance space is a small room with about 20 chairs set up along two sides, the performers sitting on or standing around the couch. They look directly at the audience as they tell their stories, making it feel even more personal. It's a raw unfiltered theater experience, without any fancy bells and whistles, just good storytelling.
Visit the Facebook event page for details and to purchase tickets (half of the proceeds go to a local clinic). The space is a bit hard to find - go around to the alley behind the building to a door where someone is waiting to welcome you in. Street parking is available, and watch the event page for more parking options.
