Debbie Lamedman

Debbie Lamedman

Debbie is a playwright and editor with books and plays published by Smith & Kraus, Inc., Heuer Publishing, Next Stage Press, and Applause Books. Debbie's produced plays include phat girls, Triangle Logic, Eating in the Dark, Just Add Love, and Up the Fall. Debbie is the co-bookwriter for the musical How the Nurse Feels, which had staged readings at both the ASCAP/Disney workshop in Los Angeles, and...
Debbie is a playwright and editor with books and plays published by Smith & Kraus, Inc., Heuer Publishing, Next Stage Press, and Applause Books. Debbie's produced plays include phat girls, Triangle Logic, Eating in the Dark, Just Add Love, and Up the Fall. Debbie is the co-bookwriter for the musical How the Nurse Feels, which had staged readings at both the ASCAP/Disney workshop in Los Angeles, and New World Stages in New York City. Debbie's short play Mind Control was produced as part of the 35th Annual Samuel French Off-Broadway Short Play Festival in New York City.

Debbie currently works as the editor for the "Best of " Annual Anthology series published by Smith & Kraus.

Plays

  • A Quiet Place by Debbie Lamedman
    Recommendations: 14
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    Cast: 
    4–8
    ·
    Genre: comedy
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    Keyword: teens, cell phones + 4 more
    Genre: comedy
    Keyword: teens, cell phones, talking loudly, talking in libraries, revenge, public places
    10-Minute play
    Luke has a French final to study for, and of course, the library is the perfect place to go. But Luke's phone keeps ringing and he prefers to dish advice to the girl on the other end, rather than dig into his books. Luke is loud, obnoxious, and triggering the wrath of his fellow library patrons who are not amused!
  • The Assumption of Love by Debbie Lamedman
    Recommendations: 8
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    Cast: 
    2
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    Genre: drama, period
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    Keyword: lovers, rendezvous + 7 more
    Genre: drama, period
    Keyword: lovers, rendezvous, hotel, Edward Hopper painting, infidelity, married man, broken-hearted, hotel room, illicit love affair
    In a hotel room in 1931, a young woman tries on her new swimsuit and giddily waits for her lover to come and sweep her off her feet. When there is a knock at the door, she is all prepared for a romantic tryst. What she isn’t prepared for, is the person who has knocked on the door.
  • Blink of an Eye by Debbie Lamedman
    Recommendations: 6
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    Cast: 
    5
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    Genre: drama, tragedy + 1 more
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    Keyword: family tragedy, car accident + 5 more
    Genre: drama, tragedy, zoom
    Keyword: family tragedy, car accident, drag racing, teen monologues, vehicular manslaughter, mother's death, teen accidentally kills mother in car crash
    The story of a family tragedy unfolds through a series of monologues told by the people most affected by the horrific event that occurred.

  • Bread and Brie by Debbie Lamedman
    Recommendations: 12
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    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy
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    Keyword: marriage, fight + 3 more
    Genre: comedy
    Keyword: marriage, fight, celiac, couples, cheese allergy
    10-minute play. Married couple Rita and Fred are attending a backyard party. Fred ate too much cheese and thinks Rita had too much to drink. Rita thinks the problem is all in Fred's head instead of in his stomach. The squabbles of a modern married couple.
  • The Brief Lifespan of a Butterfly (Monologue) by Debbie Lamedman
    Recommendations: 8
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    Cast: 
    1
    ·
    Genre: comedy
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    Keyword: fiancée, butterfly + 4 more
    Genre: comedy
    Keyword: fiancée, butterfly, toxic relationships, wedding invitations, football, emotionally abusive boyfriends
    Upon returning home to show her fiancée something special, Caroline finds him transfixed by a football game on television and completely unresponsive to her. In an effort to get his attention, Caroline comes to a realization about their relationship.
  • The Brightest Light by Debbie Lamedman
    Recommendations: 5
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    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: drama
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    Keyword: suicide prevention, Mental Health + 7 more
    Genre: drama
    Keyword: suicide prevention, Mental Health, friendship, college roommates, losing touch, suicide plan, Depression, homelessness, College Plays
    Best friends, Amy and Susannah are "attached at the hip." That is until college ends and they find themselves going in opposite directions and losing touch. When Susannah reemerges in Amy's life, she's at her lowest point, and Amy, who still cares deeply, will do anything she can to help the troubled Susannah.
  • Deluge by Debbie Lamedman
    Recommendations: 10
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    Cast: 
    4
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    Genre: experimental, movement/physical + 1 more
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    Keyword: James Baldwin, life + 5 more
    Genre: experimental, movement/physical, zoom
    Keyword: James Baldwin, life, loss, mortality, soul, love, dance
    10-minute play. Inspired by the poem UNTITLED by James Baldwin. This is unlike anything I've written before. It is about sound and movement. It is about love and loss, and mortality. And finding and losing yourself over and over again.
  • Eating in the Dark by Debbie Lamedman
    Recommendations: 5
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    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy
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    Keyword: overeating, compulsive overeating + 4 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy
    Keyword: overeating, compulsive overeating, eating disorders, fat stomach, Obesity, Fat Shaming
    Ten-Minute Play. A troubled young woman attends a movie in a crowded theatre, where she is required to find an additional seat for her stomach, which has become so large it requires an extra seat. There, she is given advice from a helpful stranger as to how she can "get rid" of the overbearing Stomach.
  • Hoax (Short Play) by Debbie Lamedman
    Recommendations: 6
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    Cast: 
    2
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    Genre: drama, political + 1 more
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    Keyword: coronavirus, death + 6 more
    Genre: drama, political, zoom
    Keyword: coronavirus, death, non-believers, conspiracy theories, no virus, no masks, wear your mask, don't wear masks
    A short play about the politics of mask-wearing. An oblivious non-mask-wearing woman does not recognize her neighbor is deeply distressed and talks incessantly about her own problems.
  • I'll Do Better by Debbie Lamedman
    Recommendations: 5
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    Cast: 
    2
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    Genre: comedy
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    Keyword: Relationships, LGBTQ + 5 more
    Genre: comedy
    Keyword: Relationships, LGBTQ, cheating, Lesbian, nonbinary, preferred pronouns, i'll do better
    (10-minute play)
    Quinn is fed-up with ex-girlfriend Deirdre, and is more than ready to kick her out of the house once and for all. Deirdre, on the other hand, has no idea the two of them are broken up. Is this true love?
  • The Incident by Debbie Lamedman
    Recommendations: 5
    ·
    Cast: 
    4
    ·
    Genre: comedy, mystery/thriller
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    Keyword: mysterious, houses with red doors + 6 more
    Genre: comedy, mystery/thriller
    Keyword: mysterious, houses with red doors, gender politics, people who steal cats, pregnant cats, friendship, unbalanced marriages, don't judge a book by its cover
    Dani needs to confront whoever lives in the house with the red door. For protection and moral support, she brings her husband Frank who in turn brings his friend, Tim. When they meet the resident of the house, it is more than any of them bargained for.
  • Into the Dark by Debbie Lamedman
    Recommendations: 10
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    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: drama
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    Keyword: walking plays, se portland + 7 more
    Genre: drama
    Keyword: walking plays, se portland, middle-of-the-night walking dog, political, insurrection, women afraid to walk alone, proud boys, women accosted by strange men, women walking alone at night
    A woman, walking alone with her dog in the middle of the night, confronts the person
    driving slowly alongside her. Part of THE WALKING PLAYS anthology. Audio-only version also available.
  • The Invitation by Debbie Lamedman
    Recommendations: 7
    ·
    Cast: 
    1
    ·
    Genre: drama
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    Keyword: gay marriage, mothers and daughters + 5 more
    Genre: drama
    Keyword: gay marriage, mothers and daughters, same-sex relationships, lesbian wedding, mother-daughter conflicts, unaccepting parents, gay women
    Monologue
    GABIE is at odds with her mother over her current relationship. She hopes to convince her disapproving mother to come to her wedding.

  • It's Just a Couch by Debbie Lamedman
    Recommendations: 5
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    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy
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    Keyword: couples, living together + 5 more
    Genre: comedy
    Keyword: couples, living together, couches, selling furniture, infidelity, toxic relationships, men and women
    10-minute play.
    Unbeknownst to Jerry, his live-in girlfriend has placed an ad to sell a piece of their furniture. An item Jerry holds very dearly. Diane claims she needs a change. But is Diane wanting a new piece of furniture or a new beau?
  • Lack of Moisture by Debbie Lamedman
    Recommendations: 10
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy
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    Keyword: gender roles, marriage + 8 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy
    Keyword: gender roles, marriage, cheating, infidelty, wife, husband, troubled marriage, crossword puzzles, dying plants, metaphor
    A husband knows the truth about his wife's infidelities and lets her know using the clues in a crossword puzzle.
  • Mind Control by Debbie Lamedman
    Recommendations: 4
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    Cast: 
    3
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    Genre: comedy
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    Keyword: hypnosis, sex acts + 8 more
    Genre: comedy
    Keyword: hypnosis, sex acts, social taboos, cheating, sex fantasies, Mind reading, Psychic abilities, friends, roommates, platonic relationships
    Ten-Minute Play. Gwen convinces her roommate Rob that he will be able to engage in taboo activity with the use of his mind. And while Gwen and Rob experiment with their minds, Rob's girlfriend Melissa is asleep in the next room.
  • Mind Control (ZOOM/LGBTQ VERSION) by Debbie Lamedman
    Recommendations: 5
    ·
    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: comedy, zoom
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    Keyword: hypnosis, sex acts + 6 more
    Genre: comedy, zoom
    Keyword: hypnosis, sex acts, social taboos, cheating, sex fantasies, Mind reading, Psychic abilities, roommates
    Ten-Minute Play. Gwen convinces her friend Lauren, who she secretly lusts after, that she will be
    able to engage in taboo activity on their Zoom call with the use of her mind, while Lauren's
    girlfriend Melissa is asleep in the next room.
  • More of You by Debbie Lamedman
    Recommendations: 5
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    Cast: 
    5
    ·
    Genre: comedy, drama
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    Keyword: nonbinary, Jewish + 8 more
    Genre: comedy, drama
    Keyword: nonbinary, Jewish, marriage, grief, queer, claude cahun, gender dysphoria, Therapy, love, gender identity
    Full-length
    As Evie mentally recovers from a life event that has shattered her, her husband Lumie delivers more news that is liable to drive her to the edge. In an attempt to save their marriage and better understand her husband and herself, Evie discovers unlikely support from an array of colorful characters, all attempting to help Evie recognize the love she has in her life, in all its forms, has been there all along.
  • Nurturing the Crone (Monologue) by Debbie Lamedman
    Recommendations: 3
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    Cast: 
    1–3
    ·
    Genre: comedy, drama + 1 more
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    Keyword: women, aging + 8 more
    Genre: comedy, drama, zoom
    Keyword: women, aging, choices, menopause, Sex, bad decisions, drug dealer, teens in trouble, loneliness and isolation, stages of life
    Along with Nurturing the Crone, this piece also includes two separate monologues as a work-in-progress for a solo show called Counting the Seconds. This one-act play will be performed by one actor and explores the different stages of a woman's life. Julia, 60, is bored, lonely, and regretful of things she hasn't done; Shelby is 23 and yearns for experience outside of her small hometown. Izzy, 17, in...
    Along with Nurturing the Crone, this piece also includes two separate monologues as a work-in-progress for a solo show called Counting the Seconds. This one-act play will be performed by one actor and explores the different stages of a woman's life. Julia, 60, is bored, lonely, and regretful of things she hasn't done; Shelby is 23 and yearns for experience outside of her small hometown. Izzy, 17, in order to be seen as a powerful force, is making choices that will cause her life to spiral downward. All characters will be played by the same actor.
  • On the Porch by Debbie Lamedman
    Recommendations: 9
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 1 more
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    Keyword: older women, aging + 4 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, zoom
    Keyword: older women, aging, menopause, weight gain, female aging, menopausal women
    Sylvie is getting high on her porch when her neighbor, Jean stops by for a chat. What starts as a brief neighborly conversation, quickly becomes two women baring their souls to one another as they commiserate over their anxieties of aging in this youth-conscious society.
  • phat girls by Debbie Lamedman
    Recommendations: 2
    ·
    Cast: 
    10–12
    ·
    Genre: comedy, drama
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    Keyword: Body image, eating disorders + 8 more
    Genre: comedy, drama
    Keyword: Body image, eating disorders, teenagers, women, weight, body positivity, weight loss, bulimia, anorexia, compulsive overeating
    phat girls is a fast-paced account of the struggle many women experience dealing with weight and body image. the audience is transported from childhood to adulthood, witnessing the development and many facets of an eating disorder, in addition to how these women learn to survive in a body-conscious society. We see inner demons personified as we follow each woman on her journey to self-acceptance. phat girls...
    phat girls is a fast-paced account of the struggle many women experience dealing with weight and body image. the audience is transported from childhood to adulthood, witnessing the development and many facets of an eating disorder, in addition to how these women learn to survive in a body-conscious society. We see inner demons personified as we follow each woman on her journey to self-acceptance. phat girls relates to these issues with humor, poignancy, and an honesty that everyone will be able to relate to.
  • Pluto by Debbie Lamedman
    Recommendations: 2
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    Cast: 
    1
    ·
    Genre: adaptation, drama + 1 more
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    Keyword: Edgar Allan Poe, Black Cat + 2 more
    Genre: adaptation, drama, mystery/thriller
    Keyword: Edgar Allan Poe, Black Cat, murder, insanity
    Monologue. Inspired by Edgar Allen Poe's short story The Black Cat, Pluto shows a man in the throes of an emotional breakdown as he comes to terms with what he has done to his wife's cat, and ultimately what he has done to his wife.
  • The Rule of Three by Debbie Lamedman
    Recommendations: 2
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    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: dark comedy, holiday + 1 more
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    Keyword: witchy, roommates + 7 more
    Genre: dark comedy, holiday, mystery/thriller
    Keyword: witchy, roommates, haunted houses, old houses, spells, crashes, breaking glass, halloween, spooky
    (Ten-Minute Play)
    Harper and Danny's roommate is never around, but his girlfriend Brooke is always there. She doesn't pay rent, and she eats their food, and Harper and Danny have had enough of her. It's October, the perfect month to cast a spell to get rid of this unwanted fourth roommate.
  • Rx by Debbie Lamedman
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    11–12
    ·
    Genre: drama
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    Keyword: prescription drug abuse, opiod epidemic + 6 more
    Genre: drama
    Keyword: prescription drug abuse, opiod epidemic, teen drug overdose, teen drug abuse, teen opioid crisis, teen prescription drug abuse, ADHD, ritalin
    Full-Length. With the loss of one of their own because of a drug overdose, a group of high school students become highly aware of the opioid crisis among them. But with the stress of keeping grades up for college, keeping relationships and friendships in check, the lure of a pill that seems to make everything perfect might be too much for some of them.

  • Snowflakes by Debbie Lamedman
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    18
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    Genre: docudrama/historic, drama
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    Keyword: teens, autism + 6 more
    Genre: docudrama/historic, drama
    Keyword: teens, autism, neurotypical, Asperger's, teenagers, developmental disability, high school actors, community theatre
    One-Act. Snowflakes is a theatrical documentary depicting a range of characters on the autistic spectrum. In the play, Suzanne, a documentarian seeks out these individuals in an attempt to understand the many different facets of autism.
  • Throwing Rocks (Short Play) by Debbie Lamedman
    Recommendations: 7
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: drama, zoom
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    Keyword: obsession, worried wife + 5 more
    Genre: drama, zoom
    Keyword: obsession, worried wife, missing husband, out of touch with reality, dysfunctional marriage, murder, a short Zoom play
    Molly, concerned when her husband hasn’t come home for several days, is obsessed with the fact that he is outside throwing rocks at her window. Ellie, her neighbor is there to explain what is really happening.

  • Triangle Logic by Debbie Lamedman
    Recommendations: 2
    ·
    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy
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    Keyword: friendship, 1990s + 7 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy
    Keyword: friendship, 1990s, gay best friend, love, straight women, gay men, writing, writers life, Family. Gay. Straight. LGBTQ
    Claire and Jack have been best friends for ages, with a strong platonic friendship since Jack is gay. Jack is not surprised when Claire announces she has a crush on her new friend Ben. Claire, it seems, gets crushes easily. The problem is, she always seems to fall for gay men, and of course, Ben is gay. Triangle Logic is an intimate look at friendship, love, betrayal, and the ways in which we navigate the...
    Claire and Jack have been best friends for ages, with a strong platonic friendship since Jack is gay. Jack is not surprised when Claire announces she has a crush on her new friend Ben. Claire, it seems, gets crushes easily. The problem is, she always seems to fall for gay men, and of course, Ben is gay. Triangle Logic is an intimate look at friendship, love, betrayal, and the ways in which we navigate the most important relationships in our lives.
  • Up the Fall by Debbie Lamedman
    Recommendations: 2
    ·
    Cast: 
    12–20
    ·
    Genre: adventure, comedy + 3 more
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    Keyword: hero's journey, magical realism + 6 more
    Genre: adventure, comedy, fable/folktale, fantasy, young audiences
    Keyword: hero's journey, magical realism, disability visibility, mythology, adventure, intersectionality, modern fable, disabled and able-bodied characters
    The story of Up the Fall takes place in both Portland and a mythical other world. When the nefarious Graeae Sisters kidnap the three animal spirits that are responsible for the passage of time, the world’s salvation falls into the hands of Diana, a young disabled woman living in Portland. Together with a squirrel spirit named Ratatoskr, Diana travels to this land in order to help save it. Many of the elements...
    The story of Up the Fall takes place in both Portland and a mythical other world. When the nefarious Graeae Sisters kidnap the three animal spirits that are responsible for the passage of time, the world’s salvation falls into the hands of Diana, a young disabled woman living in Portland. Together with a squirrel spirit named Ratatoskr, Diana travels to this land in order to help save it. Many of the elements of the story were inspired by Japanese, Chinese and Native American mythology.
  • Water Down by Debbie Lamedman
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    5
    ·
    Genre: drama
    ·
    Keyword: high school teens, suicide + 4 more
    Genre: drama
    Keyword: high school teens, suicide, Troubled youth, young love, jumping off bridge, Stalking
    Midnight, on a cold March night, and five teens find themselves on the same bridge under a full moon. What brings them all together on this night? Is it love, romance, or something more sinister?
  • You Belong to Me by Debbie Lamedman
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    10–20
    ·
    Genre: drama
    ·
    Keyword: teen dating violence, high school plays + 4 more
    Genre: drama
    Keyword: teen dating violence, high school plays, college plays on domestic violence, dating violence, teen dating awareness, teen dating abuse
    Allison has never had a boyfriend, but when she meets David everything changes. He is charming, handsome, and so sweet and kind to her. Without warning, David's behavior changes, he becomes cruel and dangerous, managing to isolate Allison and keep her from her friends and family. You Belong to Me explores the issues of dating violence among teens, and is interspersed with monologues from real-life survivors and abusers.