“Messages: A Lived Experience Play about Sexual and Relationship Violence,” performed by Grace Sopko and other performers from Drake University was a set of intertwining monologues detailing experiences of survivors of sexual violence.

Each performer, five in total, would read a different portion of the experience they were sharing, and then the next performer would go. The stories were gathered from interviews with survivors in Iowa.

In each story, the perpetrator was a family member, friend or partner, underscoring how many attacks come at the hands of people survivors trust. In almost every case, perpetrators showed abusive tendencies and began to escalate violence.

Sopko noted the stories were to remain under the ownership of those who experienced them. Sopko said performers felt it was important not to portray those who the stories belonged to, but to provide a microphone and create a dialogue about abuse.

Each performer ended their respective monologue by writing a statement challenging societal messages that contribute to victim blaming on a white board and turning it toward the audience.

The performance ended with a Q & A about healthy relationship techniques, warning signs and how survivors can, at times, create excuses for their perpetrators.

There are plans to gather stories from men who have been survivors of violence, as well as perpetrators to add more layers to the story telling.