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Shattered

Exposing the Open Secret of the Children's Theatre Scandal

By: Laura Stearns

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Paperback | 22 December 2022 | Edition Number 2

At a Glance

Paperback
318 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
22.86 x 15.24 x 1.8

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John C. Donahue was considered a brilliant but difficult artistic genius in American theater in the 70s and 80s. His theater, the Children's Theatre Company and School (CTC), rose to the heights of critical acclaim. It was also a home to more than two dozen sexual perpetrators. In 1984, Donahue's arrest for sexually abusing male students threatened to close the theater's curtains for good. The theater endured and the full truth of what was happening behind the scenes was swept under the rug, until now.

Stearns' memoir follows her process of coming to terms with experiencing childhood sexual violence at CTC, of recognizing the depth of harm from a complicit culture which allowed child abuse at the theater to go unchecked for decades, and her journey of growing beyond trauma to a place of strength. She does so with unflinching honesty, lighthearted compassion, and a healthy dose of trauma informed education.

Because children in the arts are especially vulnerable and personal boundaries are blurred by antiquated adages like "you must suffer for your art," it's of the utmost importance that those around them create safe spaces for our young artists to grow and learn. Laura shares her story in hopes that nothing like what happened at CTC will ever happen again.

Industry Reviews

"Laura has written an important book with courage, warmth, wit, rage, sensitivity and deep understanding."

-Jeffrey Hatcher, American playwright of Glensheen and The Alchemist, and screenwriter of The Duchess and The Good Liar

"If you're ambivalent about reading this for any reason, rest assured that Laura's writing serves as a flotation device to carry the reader over a tumultuous tale."

-Cordelia Anderson, MA, founder of Sensibilities Inc. and executive board member of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

"Shattered... provides validation for those who know and needed education for those who don't."

-Ricardo Levins Morales, Minneapolis based visual artist, activist, and community organizer

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