How to Defend Yourself
Starting Date: March 31, 2025
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How to Defend Yourself

By LILIANA PADILLA
Directed by GRACIE BRAKEMAN

Monday, March 31 & Tuesday, April 1 at 7 PM

Seven college students at a DIY self-defense workshop fight back against the insidious ways rape culture steals one’s body and sense of belonging. With sharp humor and brutal honesty, How to Defend Yourself explores what we want, how to ask for it, and the autonomy we can cultivate despite it all.

Far from your average staged reading, we give our actors just enough blocking, light and sound design to get started and then we let adrenaline do the rest! Yes, there will be scripts in hands, but there will also be bold action and riveting drama. Subscribe to the CSRS for a perfect pairing to our mainstage season.

❋ Run-time: TBD

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CONTENT ADVISORIES

how to defend yourself – Content Advisories

Shotgun Players is equally committed to presenting challenging work and taking care of our patrons.

Content advisories are a tool to help our patrons choose how they want to engage with each play. While we have tried to cover the most common sensitivities, the list below is not exhaustive. Some listed advisories refer to lines only briefly mentioned in the plays, whereas others are major themes of the work. These advisories will be updated regularly as plays are developed in rehearsal and production.

If you have any questions, we encourage you to call or email the box office, and we’re happy to provide more context. (510.841.6500, ext. 303 or [email protected]).

Thematic exploration of rape culture, including verbal description of sexual assault and related injuries 
Description of consensual sexual acts
Overt and covert racism and misogyny
Trivial reference to eating disorders

Champagne Staged Reading Series Sponsors

Michelle Barbour & Christian Baudry
Greg Gorel
Chard Nelson & Jan Berman
Mike & Gretchen Schnitzer
Bibi Tiphane
Jon Wagner & Lynne Hollingsworth

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