Feelings Count in Stop-Gap’s Cancer Drama

Working people have problems too.

Stop-Gap, Orange County’s eminent drama therapy organization, which has been going into community centers and schools for 15 years, will soon be taking a new piece about breast cancer into businesses and corporations.

“Every Part of Me . . . A Journey of Discovery,” by Stop-Gap’s resident playwright Robert Knapp, will premiere Sunday at the Irvine Barclay Theatre. Performances are at 2 and 4 p.m., with a reception at 3. Both shows are open to the public.

The script itself, like all of Stop-Gap’s presentations, is a compact (20-minute) dramatic spark-plug, designed to work in tandem with an interactive follow-up that will be part of the Sunday program.

“This form of theater seems truly to be the best way to approach these kinds of problems,” explained Don R. Laffoon, Stop-Gap’s executive director. “Because it’s more than a play. It’s . . . about feelings that concern all of us around the issues of breast cancer. The shock of getting that phone call and that news--the ripples going out from the woman to her family and friends and support groups.

“People don’t take in information unless they feel about it. When we know someone with AIDS, then we can start feeling about AIDS. When we identify, we care about human beings.

“We hope (this play) will be the beginning of dealing with people where they are--in the working environment. This won’t be our first time in a corporate setting. We’ve been called in on an ad hoc basis for problem solving. But this is the first time we have researched and scripted a play specifically to address issues in the corporate community.”

The development of the play and Sunday’s presentation have been sponsored by the Orange County Chapter of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. The reception between performances will feature educational exhibits and representatives from breast cancer survivor support groups such as High Priority.

Women at risk for breast cancer are the most obvious target audience for “Every Part of Me,” but Laffoon insists that breast cancer is an issue for everyone. “I have a strong prejudice that this is not a play for women (only). We men have a role--to listen, to feel, not only to be problem solvers. There’s a husband character in the play, and he is very strongly impacted by (what happens).”

*”Every Part of Me ... A Journey of Discovery” will be presented by the Stop-Gap theater company at 2 and 4 p.m. Sunday at the Irvine Barclay Theatre, 4242 Campus Drive, Irvine. $15. (714) 854-4646.