Calling on YOU!

I need your help, especially if you are a reader from New Orleans. Actually, I am helping someone who needs your help. Kaitlin came down to New Orleans at the beginning of this month as part of ASB. This was the trip that Lisa was on. All the kids were touched and want to do more. Kaitlin has decided to do this via writing a play. She would love to get stories from as many people as she can. Here are excerpts from her emails, as she can explain it so much better than I:

I actually just spent the morning brainstorming about how I was going to find a sampling of different varieties of stories, from a different variety of peoples and backgrounds. I just opened the email from Lisa with your address and it seems as though a lot of my concerns have been resolved. I don't know how much of my idea Lisa conveyed to you, but I want to get a ton of different perspectives into Katrina and it's aftermath. No one's perspective is right or wrong, I want the audience to decide for themselves as they view the performance or read the script. I'd like to get everyone from the highest person on the "food chain" (politically, however, I realize that this might be a difficult, or perhaps, impossible, challenge) down to the smallest child. This script will be a marriage of formats- a union of the vagina monologues and the laramie project. Both have a few (or one) actor playing many characters, performing many monologues. This, of course, will have it's own unique format, and specific choices individual to this script. I feel that the only way to truly convey what I'd wish to, is to use the people's words... If I were to write a script that was a narrative, or a story, it would be my bias, and it's not my bias or opinion to have.. I didn't experience it firsthand. I'd love to hear your story, and the story of your friends, family, and anyone you know who would be willing to share and contribute to this project.

I want to have a collection of stories that will tell the entire story. I'd like to hear from someone who had concerns that Katrina might happen beforehand, someone who knows and understands the levees, someone who perhaps contacted the government (local, state, national) with their concerns... I'd like to hear from several people about their experiences during the storm, the help they received. I want the rescuers stories- firefighters, policemen, self-appointed rescuers who were "everyday people." I want stories from the people who traveled to help afterwards. I'd like to have a sampling of everything. I want people to really understand what happened from a huge sampling of perspectives. I'd like the focus to be on Katrina, but the timeline can begin with the concern for the levees, and end in how new orleans is now. I hope to interview one of the students from our alternative spring break and get that perspective too. I cannot wait to work on this, thank you so much for your help!!

Like I said before- no one's wrong or right, I don't want it to be one-sided... However, if there's a consensus of opinions, that should be conveyed as well. I just want a ton of different perspectives on Katrina. As I said to Stacey- It's up to the audience or the reader to formulate an opinion.

Also, I would love to be able to use these people's names, or at least their occupations, sexes, and their approximate ages, if they'd rather remain anonymous... Just so an audience/reader can get some perspective on where they're coming from in their various lifestyles. I'm thinking perhaps this summer it would be beneficial for me to go back down to new orleans and meet with people in person. As of right now, that's very much up in the air, but I would so like that to become a reality.

So if you have any interest in sharing your story, or know of anyone...please contact myself either here or via staceymorigeauAThotmailDOTcom. Please pass this on to all you know that were affected. Kaitin helped us out, lets help her out!!