Not all the art and music will be as intense as the placenta prints and belly casts at tonight's production of
re:Birth. But the videos, photos, and paintings, as well as a screening of Ricki Lake's
The Business of Being Born, will have a common theme about having babies. "These days, a lot of women look at pregnancy as a purely medical process. It's not seen as something normal and natural," says Shelly Gracon, who organized the program. "The show's about empowerment and realizing there's more to it than just going to the hospital and hoping for a healthy baby."The stats hit home. The U.S.'s infant mortality rate ranked 30th in the world in 2000. Shockingly, the country came in second in the percentage of babies dying at birth in the developed world. Birth-related art, says Gracon, helps women connect with their babies. "The show is about celebrating birth and, hopefully, making it more accessible," she says. The program is from 6 to 10 tonight at Cleveland State University's Factory Theatre, 1833 East 23rd Street. Tickets are $5 in advance and $7 at the door. Call 216-687-2113 or visit
www.angelhousestrongsville.com.
Sat., May 17, 6-10 p.m., 2008
