ACLU Presents Uppity's Democracy on Stage
- What People Are Saying -

"I'm just writing to thank you for letting me be a part of Democracy
on Stage. It was a very enjoyable experience, and I feel like I've gained
a lot from it as an actress. This was my first acting experience outside of
high school, and it was really great to be working among such a diverse and
talented group of actors and actresses."
- Annie Seraceno, senior, Kirkwood High School

Joan,

I have been hearing nothing but rave reviews regarding Democracy on Stage,
and I wanted to let you, your cast, and your crew know that everyone loved
the show. My co-workers who attended, my friends and major donors who have
been attending the Bill of Rights Dinner forever all said that this was the
best event that they have seen in years, mostly due to the live performance
(we also had a lot of good reaction to the new venue). Several of the major
donors said that they had sworn off coming to the annual dinner because it
had become so boring, but that they decided to come this year because they
saw your name on our invitation. After this year's dinner, I was told that
they were "excited to see what you do next year."

One of my friends told me that she was a little skeptical when I told her
that there was going to be a live performance, but she decided to come
anyway - to support the ACLU. My friend's only exposure to live theater had
been through high school plays that were (according to her) produced by a 90
year old bitter theater teacher with no budget in a small town. Well, I
think you created a new live theater lover last Saturday night. She asked
if your troupe would be performing the piece again so that she can bring her
boy friend to see it.

After the show, one of our major donors said, "Where did you find them?
They are wonderful!!" Several other people at the event also commented how
professional and moving the performance was. People were particularly
impressed with the diversity of the cast and, of course, they loved the fact
that the stories were depictions of actual ACLU cases. Everyone with whom I
spoke mentioned how great everyone was and pointed out that there were
absolutely no weak performers among the troupe. Some patrons commented that they had not seen your work in years, and said that they had forgotten how great your productions really are - I wouldn't be surprised if your web site
is getting a few more hits than usual!

I can't thank you enough for all of your hard work. I know that you all
must be exhausted after all of the endless rehearsals, but I hope that you
know it was worth it. Your show helped revitalize the commitment to civil
liberties of many of the people who attended our dinner. You were able to
convey our message in a way that was both entertaining and educational, and
it is something that people will remember.

Now, more than ever, we need people to be aware of and dedicated to the
preservation of their civil liberties. Thank you so much for all of your
help - and please thank all of those who helped make this show possible on
my behalf.

Sincerely,

Shannon Lopata
ACLU of Eastern Missouri, Secretary of the Board of Trustees