October is Domestic Violence Awareness month and a Manhattan woman is dramatizing her frightening childhood that spans from the Caribbean to New York in a solo play. Cheryl Wills has her story.
Her name is Ingrid Griffith and the talented actor calls her one-woman play "Demerara Gold" after a fast-moving river in Guyana.
The show is a true story about Griffith's childhood in the Caribbean and she plays 18 characters. Griffith reflects upon her parents' departure for America, with hopes that she and her siblings would soon join them.
Years later, when Griffith was about 12, the family reunion in New York was anything but a happy one. It was an emotional minefield due to her father's abusive behavior.
"I saw parents that I didn't recognize," she said "There was a lot of tension in my home."
According to the Childhood Domestic Violence Association, every year about five million children witness domestic violence and about 40 million Americans grew up in violent households.
But Ingrid Griffith is sharing her traumatic story so others, especially immigrants, can speak up.
"We never talked about it," Griffith said. "My sibling and I never said 'What is going on?' We don't like this, even among ourselves."
She hopes those who see her one-woman show next week will take a stand against domestic violence.
You can catch two showings of 'Demerara Gold' at The Duplex on Christopher Street on October 20 and 22. To learn more visit the show's website.