GREAT BARRINGTON — Katharine Graham lived a life of great wealth and privilege during a time when women were hardly encouraged to be ambitious. When her millionaire father purchased The Washington Post at auction, in 1933, he went on to appoint Katharine’s husband as publisher (giving him more shares in the business than his own daughter). “As [Phil] emerged more on the journalistic and political scenes, I increasingly saw my role as the tail to his kite,” Graham wrote in her Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir “A Personal History.” The self-proclaimed “doormat wife” eventually rose to be called the First Lady of American Journalism, both for her breaking the Watergate scandal and for leading The Post from 1963–1991. Still, she was not immune to domestic violence.
“We decided to film [the production] and give it to domestic violence organizations to use as a free fundraising tool,” director Michelle Joyner told The Edge in a recent phone interview. Specifically, these domestic violence organizations paired up with theaters around the country, both equity and non equity — to take advantage of existing infrastructure to share these events with far-flung audiences. “In the Berkshires, we actively decided not to team up with a theater [and] do it as a fundraiser for Walnut Woods,” Joyner explained of the team’s hope that the show will be done live in the 413 at some point in the future. “THE SHOT,” based on Gerber’s book, “Katharine Graham, The Leadership Journey of an American Icon,” has been in development now for four years and has understandably gone through what Joyner calls “a lot of different incarnations.” The one constant remains bringing the pervasive issue of domestic violence to light.
A recent World Health Organization study estimates 736 million women — almost one in three women globally — have suffered intimate partner violence, sexual violence from a non-partner, or both at least once in their lives. The brilliance of “THE SHOT” is the realistic depiction it offers of the difficult intricacies of an abusive relationship and the emphasis it places on the fact that no one is immune to it. In the trailer, Lawrence as Kay Graham speaks candidly to a popular question: “Why didn’t I leave? Anyone would ask that. My best friend, my brother, my hairdresser, the gardener, the boy who bags groceries, … the baker down the street! They would wonder, why, why didn’t I leave?”
Joyner ultimately reached out to Julie Bishop, founder of Walnut Woods, who was enthusiastically receptive to the collaboration. Walnut Woods, founded in 2019, is a nonprofit dedicated to helping survivors take back their power; the long-term vision is to create a nature-based educational center and transitional home for women and children who are dedicated to transforming, healing, and regenerating their lives after the impact of domestic abuse. The idea to provide “holistic empowerment programming to abuse survivors in Berkshire County and surrounding areas [grew] out of my personal experience and the many experiences shared by others,” Bishop shared in a statement on Facebook.
Bishop chose the event date, May 3, “because it also happens to be World Press Day, a United Nations holiday commemorating freedom of the press and reminding governments of their duty to uphold the human right to freedom of expression,” she said, in a nod to the boldness and bravery of Graham who, as leader of The Washington Post, “stood up against the government’s wishes and her male colleagues to publish the stories that broke the Watergate scandal. If only [she] could have spoken up about what she endured during her marriage … unfortunately, her story is not that uncommon. Most women, myself included, suffer in silence for a multitude of reasons, including denial and shame,” Bishop said citing a slew of initial supporters and board members alike as having stories similar to Graham’s — “powerful, educated, and brilliant women who found themselves in toxic, manipulative, and abusive relationships.”
While “THE SHOT” is based on Graham’s life, “the intimate details grew from many interviews with women who had the courage to share their stories with me, and I’m sincerely grateful,” Gerber said in a written statement.
Although Graham’s life was one of privilege, Joyner said, “The feedback we’ve gotten from the events we’ve done so far [is that audience members are] just amazed at how universal the story is. Whether you are living in a mansion with servants and traveling the world or locked up in a studio apartment with three kids and an abusive husband, this scenario — the questions, the incapacity to move forward — all seems to be fairly universal,” she said, noting the spike in domestic abuse over the year-long pandemic, a period of time that left survivors with even fewer options than normal.
While Graham’s life informed her decision to be bold in her leadership positions, “THE SHOT” is not the story of Graham’s professional career. “The story is the domestic story, and really it could be anybody,” said Joyner. “That [Graham] was able to overcome her abuse, and not only from her husband but from her mother … is remarkable, and we wanted to tell that story because that gives a lot of hope and inspiration to people who are struggling.”
Make an impact — and empower survivors in learning how to love, trust, and believe in themselves once again — by reserving a spot for Monday’s screening; immediately following, join the creative team and members of Walnut Woods for a panel discussion. While the event begins at 7 p.m., the link will be made available for 72 hours following, for viewing at your leisure.
For anyone inclined to dismiss this topic as irrelevant, Gerber offers a strong statement of rebuke: “[This project] grew from writing my book about Katharine Graham and trying to understand the intimate partner violence she endured. Abuse of any kind against women is deeply connected to the cultural failure to embrace women’s full equality. I hope the play will help women who are abused to feel less alone in their suffering and struggle. I hope it will help everyone understand that violence against women must end.”
