An original play about the effects of domestic and date violence debuted Monday at Princeton High School.
By: Jeff Milgram
Four years ago, the New Jersey Hospital Association studied emergency rooms around the state and found that domestic-violence cases had increased 60 percent over a decade.
The association also found that the victims of domestic violence often said their injuries dislocated shoulders, black eyes and broken ribs were caused by an accident of some kind, not by intentional abuse.
And so the association’s vice president for communications and members’ services, Ronald Czajkowski, thought the best way to attack the root of domestic violence was to reach its potential victims and victimizers early when they are in high school.
After four years, the result of Mr. Czajkowski’s game plan, an original play about the effects of domestic and date violence, debuted Monday at Princeton High School to an audience of high school seniors.
The play is a collaboration of the hospital association, headquartered in West Windsor, and McCarter Theatre. The two organizations created "Cheap Sunglasses," which will be performed at 16 locations during October.
Written by New York playwright James Mirrione and directed by Teaneck resident Seret Scott, the hour-long production was followed by a question-and-answer session linking students with the actors, who stayed in character.
The actors met with domestic-violence experts in order to answer the questions the way real abusers would, Mr. Czajkowski said.
"The key for us is to engage kids in a dialogue," he said. "They’re responding."
The overall goal is to help teens recognize domestic violence and the behaviors that perpetuate it so they will be able to help stop the cycle of violence, program organizers said.
Statistics cited by the association show that a woman is beaten in New Jersey every six minutes and that domestic violence accounts for an estimated $1.8 billion in national health care costs each year.
"Because many abused individuals grow to become abusers themselves, it is critical to reach young people while they can still be taught that the cycle is wrong and not normal," said Gary Carter, the association’s president and CEO. "Some young people never really understand that the domestic or dating violence they see firsthand is not acceptable."
The play also will be performed Oct. 18 at West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South.
"This collaboration is a first for McCarter," said Emily Mann, the artistic director of the theater. "It’s a wonderful opportunity to stretch our artistic muscles in a new direction to reach out to New Jersey’s youth in a fresh and exciting way and at the same time demonstrate our continuing commitment to theater as a forum for ideas and social awareness."
The play follows seven characters: Pat, a retired policeman, and his wife, Fran; his sister, Angie, and her abusive husband, Al; Pat and Fran’s youngest daughter, Cassie, and her controlling boyfriend, Tyler; and their oldest daughter, Providence.
The actors are all professionals.
During the question-and-answer session, Ava-Maria Carnevale, the actress who played Fran, defended her indifference to Angie’s plight by saying, "She was always coming over. She was always commanding my husband’s attention … If you’re married, you made your bed, now sleep in it."
One student said, "I have a question for Al: Are you sorry?"
"Am I sorry for what?" answered Al Espinosa, who played Al.
If you are in an abusive relationship and want help, call the New Jersey Statewide Domestic Violence Hotline at (800) 572-SAFE.

