We are so grateful for the outpouring of love and support for Unspoken; Volume II, Live from Home. We would like to thank everyone who made this show possible. Thank you to our BWTC Board of Directors for their continued dedication to producing work that is relevant and meaningful. Thank you to our suicide prevention partners - Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center, their Prevention and Training Branch - the PEACE Office, I Pinangon Campus Suicide Prevention Program, and Mañe'lu. These groups along with other amazing community organizations work hard year round to support our community, and we are so grateful to be able to partner up with them for shows like this. Thank you to our directors, Joyce Torres and Yz Jasa, to our production team, to our authors, and to our actors. This show would not have been possible without their hard work and dedication.

Finally, thank you to all of you for your willingness to engage in the exploration of the important issues of mental health and suicide prevention. Even though Suicide Prevention Month has come to a close, we want to encourage you all to continue these conversations. Don't be afraid to talk openly about mental health. Be conscious of your language and remember that your words have power. Choose to empower and support your loved ones on their mental health journey instead of perpetuating the cycle of shame. If you or anyone you know are looking for support, know that there are resources out there for you. You have no reason to be ashamed, and help is there if you need it. We are here for you.

This project was supported in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, Guam Council on the Arts and Humanities Agency, a Division of the Department of Chamorro Affairs, Government of Guam, and the Office of the Governor.

It was also supported by our generous sponsors and community partners: Sorensen Media Group, Pacific Daily News, University of Guam College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, Future Smiles Orthodontics, JamzMedia, Wendy’s & Coldstone Creamery, Moylan's NetCare, and I PInangon Campus Suicide Prevention Program

Breaking Wave Theatre Company and the UOG Theatre presented our production of Unspoken; A Mental Health Anthology - a collection of local works and an original musical that explored the topics of mental health and suicide prevention. The show was composed of three components, beginning with Let’s Talk, a piece that was completely written and performed by high school participants. It was a collection of letters, scenes, and movement pieces that all addressed mental health from the teenage perspective. Following this was Community Speaks, a short series of locally written monologues, poems, and songs that all engaged in the larger show theme of mental health and suicide prevention. The show included with On the Inside: A Mental Health Musical, written by Joyce Torres and CJ Ochoco, with musical arrangement by Shannon San Nicolas.

With a team of over 70 actors, authors, technicians, and more involved with the show, this project represented Breaking Wave Theatre Company’s vision to unite artists for social causes and to give back to the community through the arts. Unspoken; A Mental Health Anthology aimed to open up the conversation about mental health and suicide prevention in hopes of breaking the silence and fighting the stigma surrounding this issues.

A portion of the proceeds for "Comfort" benefitted the Guam Family Justice Alliance Center

Since 2008, Family Justice Centers have been developing all over the US, and the world has taken notice of its streamline concept and its benefit in reducing re-victimization, family violence, and sexual assault. Guam does not currently have an FJC but the Guam Family Justice Center Alliance is a local non-profit organization whose mission is to change this fact. By having an establishment that is completely victim-centered, whee the resources are available to the victim under one roof, they aim to strongly advocate, educate and promote proactive measures where healing and recovery can truly be a reality.

A clothesline is a news forecast to neighbors passing by, displaying both good times and bad, and Lola Rosa is airing out her truth for the very first time. In this story, we examined the life of a comfort woman, whose story is anything but. Comfort is a one-woman show based on the true story of Maria “Rosa” Henson, who at the age of 16 was taken by the Japanese forces in the Philippines during the height of World War II.

Comfort takes us through the journey of Lola Rosa’s life - from the time she was a young girl, to years later when she finally shares her experience as a comfort woman, becoming the first Filipina woman ever to do so. By incorporating the words of Lola Rosa herself along with material from other authors, Joyce Torres expertly brings Lola Rosa to life through this powerful piece about the suffering and resiliency of Filipina women.

Joyce Torres is a 2014 graduate of the University of Guam Fine Arts Theatre program. In 2016, she moved to Los Angeles to attend the Stella Adler Art of Acting Studio. Since graduating in 2018, Torres has begun to make her mark in the Los Angeles acting scene. She returned to Guam ready to share this story in hopes of bringing awareness to this important facet of history that is seldom discussed, and to emphasize its relevance today. Comfort resonated with the power that can only come from sharing a deeply personal story, breaking the silence that has been quietly sitting for years.

This project was supported in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, Guam Council on the Arts and Humanities Agency a division of the Department of Chamorro Affairs, Government of Guam and the Office of the Governor.

21 CHUMP STREET: THE MUSICAL was presented through special arrangement with R & H Theatricals: www.rnh.com.