BOLD Locations

Santa Rosa, California

Both performances were wonderful! Both the 2pm and 6pm shows packed with at least 160-170 people each. The performance itself was powerful, passionate and got a tremendous amount of crowd reaction.

The BOLD Talkback was just great. They honored Kitty Ernst Young and she spoke on the panel along with a local OB (who played Janet in the play and was the first OB to ever act in the play!) and a homebirth midwife. I think they really covered all sides of the maternity care story quite well. Here were some personal highlights from the BOLD Talkback:

- EVERYBODY is actually afraid in maternity care today: mothers, midwives and doctors.

- It's time to confront the insurance companies. Why not say to them: give me the amount of money you will allow me to spend on maternity care and let ME pay for the kind of birth I want?!

- We need to educate women to look to themselves when making a decision.

- From a labor and delivery nurse: "the reality is we are a first world country giving third world care."

- Electronic fetal heart monitors increase the c-section rates and the reality is they are a big business.

- It's encouraging that at the moment there seems to be a "Gathering Storm" of books, movies and this play about the reality of birth today. Let's hope all of these things in combination can swing the pendulum.

- From Kitty Ernst Young, "One thing all of you can do today, right now, is go to your local media and say: where were you today? Where were you on a Sunday when a sold-out play was taking place in your community about one of the most important things on earth: birth? Hold the media accountable!" (note: we tried very hard to get media coverage and got nothing!).

From Karen Brody, BOLD founder, who attended the performance:

I had a wonderful time at BOLD Santa Rosa’s production…I just loved meeting the cast and crew. My husband cried during the show and afterwards turned to me and said, "What a movemen!" I agree. Telling the BOLD truth, BOLDly education and BOLD action from so many communities is what’s going to tip the pendulum towards mother-friendly maternity care!

Rosanne Gephart was the BOLD Organizer in Santa Rosa. BOLD Santa Rosa’s performances raised money for the Women’s Health and Birth Center in Santa Rosa.