Women of Resolution is a multimedia performance featuring the stories of four Colorado women who sought sanctuary to prevent the separation of their families through deportation: Araceli Velasquez, Ingrid Encalada Latorre, Rosa Sabido, and Sandra Lopez. The performance employs theater, music and photojournalism in an event that provides an emotional and sensory experience that helps audiences understand the challenges facing immigrants who are undocumented and the love of family and justice that inspires them not to give up. Because the women living in sanctuary could not leave sanctuary to read their own stories or go to the legislature to advocate for their rights, their stories were designed to be read aloud by community leaders. The performance premiered at eTown in Boulder, Colorado in 2018 with members of the Colorado Legislature reading the stories.

The Women of Resolution script was developed by Kirsten Wilson based on interviews recorded by award-winning journalist Joel Dyer and Motus Theater. Woven together with photos by Joel Dyer and music sung by Teresita Lozano.

Collaborations with Faith Leaders

Motus Theater works in strategic collaborations in which faith leaders and organizations read the stories from Women of Resolution and our UndocuAmerica monologists. Read more about our collaborations, here.

Some of our guest readers have included:

"We have to tell our stories. That is how we change laws and policies, but most importantly, how we change hearts and minds."

— LESLIE HEROD, COLORADO REPRESENTATIVE, HOUSE DISTRICT 8 

"Motus Theater's work is brilliant and breathtaking in its elevation of our consciousness through the telling of immensely powerful stories that desperately need to be heard and absorbed so that we can bring our awareness and our activism to the plight of people who live in fear. Women of Resolution honors the undocumented women whose painful voices we hear in a rich and engaging program that calls us to empathy and action."

— Rabbi Marc Soloway, Congregation Bonai Shalom

Host Your Own Community Reading

Women of Resolution is currently touring not only with community leaders presenting public readings of these stories but also as a special in-home reading event for family and friends through Motus’ Shoebox Stories “Host Your Own” reading kit. 

Shoebox Stories “Host Your Own” is an intimate story-holding project for 4-8 people. Invite friends or family to gather together and stand in the shoes of a woman who is undocumented from Women of Resolution by reading aloud their story, saying their words and feeling the weight they carry. 

You can purchase a physical Shoebox Toolkit, which can be passed to additional hosts and spread to the community, or you can download a digital toolkit for free. 

“The stories in Women of Resolution are stories that move our souls because we can recognize our own humanity within them. Let’s share these stories… in our homes, our community groups, our schools, book clubs, faith communities and wherever we gather together with one another to share meaningful conversation. So many times people ask, ‘What can I do?’ This is what we can do… with heart.”

— Norma Johnson, Shoebox “Host Your Own” participant