  
ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE
In 2006, renowned Philadelphia Yoga teacher and performer, Jennifer Schelter was invited by Lierman Trust for Humanitarian Law to accompany humanitarian lawyer Susan Burke on an expedition to Istanbul, Turkey, where she collected testimony from tortured Iraqis who had been imprisoned at Abu Ghraib. Schelter's role was to offer her expertise in mind-body connection and integral growth practices as a form of healing to the former detainees.Inspired by the improbable bravery and beauty of the stories she witnessed, Schelter used her unique artistic language, expertise in Yoga and spiritual growth to craft LOVE LESSONS FROM ABU GHRAIB, a one-woman performance chronicling her personal journey.  The unique and touching piece examines the repercussions of torture and the different ways we attempt to heal ourselves by highlighting friendships, humor and the fear of confronting one of our democracy's most critical question: Do we really want to be known as a nation that tortures prisoners of war?
PRODUCTION SPONSORS
VIDEO TRAILER
IN THE MEDIA
Warrior One
Through yoga, Philadelphia playwright Jennifer Schelter taps into the compassion of an Iraqi torture
In 2006, lawyers working on a class-action suit against two U.S. defense contractors — CACI and Titan — interviewed an Iraqi citizen named Abdulwahab.
His testimony was roughly as follows:
He traveled from his village to Baghdad to buy a car. American forces raided the hotel he was staying in. He was restrained with plastic handcuffs, hooded and taken to one of Saddam Hussein's former palaces. He was told he was in al-Qaida. He didn't know what al-Qaida was or what it meant. He was stripped naked and interrogated. He was taken to another location and forced to run on his knees and knuckles for 10 days, not sleeping more than 20 minutes at a time.
Then he was sent to Abu Ghraib, and things got worse.
His story is buried under thousands of pages of testimony from more than 300 plaintiffs in Haidar Muhsin Saleh v. Titan Corporation — a case now awaiting review by the Supreme Court. And it would have likely stayed there, except that one of the note-takers at his interview in Istanbul was a yoga instructor and former Equity actress from Philadelphia.
After years of performing in regional theater — and burning out on it — Jennifer Schelter started a yoga studio in East Falls. She thought her stage career was long behind her.
About five years ago, she was approached by one of her students after class. "She said she had just gotten back from listening to torture testimony," explains Schelter. "She wanted me to come with her, but she didn't know why exactly. She said she thought these people needed healing, and I could help. She said, 'Maybe you could do yoga with them or maybe just your presence would be healing.'"
The student was Susan Burke, lead prosecuting attorney on Saleh v. Titan.
Schelter began writing LOVE LESSONS FROM ABU GHRAIB in compulsive bursts, shortly after returning home from Istanbul.
"I had reverse culture shock. No one cares about this, and everyone wants to be happy," says Schelter. "Christmas Day, I sat down and wrote as many stories as I could remember. Because the level of forgiveness in these men was beyond anything I had ever witnessed."
LOVE LESSONS is a one-woman show based on Abdulwahab's testimony. But it's also very much about Schelter's attempt to cling to the virtues of her yoga training in the face of breathtaking inhumanity.
The play debuted at the 2007 Philly Fringe with four chairs, a stage and a budget of about $300. An InterAct Theatre Co. board member fell for it, and gave a DVD copy of the show to artistic director Seth Rozin. He fell for it, too: LOVE LESSONS opens Saturday at InterAct....
Read Bruce Walsh's Entire Philadelphia City Paper Article
... [Chestnut] Hill Actress Aids Victims of U.S. Torture
As Jennifer Schelter, 44, prepares for the re-opening of her critically acclaimed one-woman performance piece at the InterAct Theatre, LOVE LESSONS FROM ABU GHRAIB, she recalls that a few years ago she could not possibly have predicted the course of events that would dramatically change her life.
In 2006, Schelter — a Chestnut Hill native, Germantown Friends School alumna and owner of the Yoga Schelter studio in East Falls — was offered the Lierman Trust for Humanitarian Law’s invitation to join lawyer Susan Burke in Istanbul, Turkey. The pair were interviewing Iraqis who had been tortured by U.S. Army personnel at Iraq’s infamous Abu Ghraib prison. In 2004, the prison was a topic of international controversy after details emerged proving several U.S. Army members had intentionally abused the prisoners...
“I had no idea 99.9% of the population of prisoners were just random,” Schelter said last week. “There was very little reason why they should have been tortured. I was so naïve. I thought the U.S. gave up torture a long time ago. Am I flaming liberal? Absolutely not, and I’m not trying to preach. There just have to be other ways of getting information.”...
Slowly, as the former prisoners became emotionally unguarded, Schelter realized some methods designed to establish healing worked better than others. Genuinely welcoming the prisoners and acknowledging their courage to speak about their experiences were two critical components towards establishing trust. With the presence of mutual trust, Schelter realized she was in unique company.
“I was lucky the prisoners never told me to leave the room,” Schelter said.” They didn’t come from a culture of therapeutics. Being able to release their stories and share the burden of those stories was important. Most prisoners actually said, ‘I’m terribly sorry to burden you with this; thank you for listening.’"
Although Schelter initially journeyed to Istanbul with the intent of giving, she surprisingly received something — a new perspective on the human capacity to love. Following her return to Philadelphia, Schelter created the play, “Love Lessons from Abu Ghraib,” as a way to express her experience and also help others....
The performance explores the themes of love, forgiveness, fearlessness and transformation. As an actress who shared in receiving a Tony Award at the Denver Center Theatre Company and a member of Actors’ Equity and the Screen Actors Guild, Schelter brings experience along with her passion.
“To me, it’s like eating a big courage sandwich,” Schelter said. “It’s all about overcoming fear and depression and transcending through personal and universal faith to find out what’s possible. Everyone makes a difference; witnessing other people makes a huge difference. Not passing judgment makes a huge difference.“...
Read Erik Hubbard's Entire Chestnut Hill Local Article
SPECIAL EVENTS
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| Join Yoga Unites as they host a performance of LOVE LESSONS FROM ABU GHRAIB and a post-show panel about the importance of being a compassionate witness and the role of creativity in healing and empowerment. The 6 professionals on the panel have over 70 years combined experience in the practical and spiritual aspects of healing, empowerment, and creativity. Tickets for the performance of LOVE LESSONS FROM ABU GHRAIB are $25.00 each. The panel discussion, which will begin at approximately 8:15 p.m., is free and open to the public. |
Panelist Include:
- , is directing LOVE LESSONS FROM ABU GHRAIB, now in its 4th incarnation. After working for Melanie Stewart Dance Theatre, Anne studied physical theatre at the renowned Ecole Philipe Gaulier in London, U.K. She creates socio-political pieces for the Philadelphia Fringe Festivals and collaborated with Myra Bazell to write EXTREME. At the Ritz Theatre in NJ, her love of teaching bloomed while working with the autistic and deaf students who attended their camp. She now celebrates her 4th year working with students with disabilities at Wissahickon Charter School, the country’s only urban school with an environmental mission.
- , is a psychologist who teaches at Bryn Mawr College in the Clinical Developmental Psychology Ph.D. program, is the consulting psychologist at Abington Friends School and has a private practice. She has worked with children, adults, couples and families for over 35 years.
- , is an artist whose work portraits of Iraqi former detainees from Abu Ghraib Prison have been shown widely around the US. He is a recipient of Guggenheim and Pew Fellowships, and currently teaches at RISD and Princeton University. He lives and works in Philadelphia.
- . Her research focuses on the role of narrative and ethnography in reducing barriers to care and improving post-deployment health outcomes for combat veterans. She recently completed an intervention study looking at the use of Life Story interviews to decrease social anxiety and PTSD symptoms for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
- in 2004. During his deployment, he sustained a Traumatic Brain Injury as a result of a complex IED attack. He has written and talked about his combat and post-deployment adjustment experiences, both on his own and with the Hospitalized Veterans Writing Project, and has found the process has played an important role in his recovery.
- , offers physical, emotional and mental transformational modalities such as yoga, meditation, writing, life coaching and corporate retreats. Founder and executive director of Yoga Schelter, In the East Falls section of Philadelphia, and The Radiant Retreat to Tulum, Mexcio. She is Founder of Yoga Unites, non-profit, that improves the quality of life for inner city youth. She has work extensively as an actress in professional theatres such as The Old Globe Theatre, and The Denver Center Theatre Company. In memory of her grandmother, Kathleen Converse, she is the visionary and co-founder of the annual “Yoga Unites”, now called “Yoga On The Steps” – the largest yoga/meditation class of it’s kind in the Tri-State area.
Moderated by:
- is a partner at the law firm of Saul Ewing LLP practicing in the Business and Finance Department in Philadelphia. She concentrates her practice in business matters and corporate governance. She has lectured extensively in these areas. She is Co-Chair of the Career Development Committee and Member of the Pro Bono Committee at Saul Ewing. She dedicates her pro bono time to representing abused and neglected children on behalf of the Support Center for Child Advocates where she also serves as Vice Chair of the Board. In addition to her service to the Boards of InterAct and Yoga Unites, she is a member of the Board of the Scleroderma Foundation, Delaware Valley Chapter as well as Chair of the Small Business Committee of the Philadelphia Bar Association's Business Law Section. She is an adjunct professor at the Fox School of Business at Temple University. She has been named one of Philadelphia's "40 Under 40" by the Philadelphia Business Journal as well as one of Pennsylvania's "Lawyers on the Fast Track" by the American Lawyer Media.
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All performances held
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Participants will complete workshop I with
a short written piece to build a monologue.
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Participants will complete Workshop II with
a short monologue that speaks of their heroic journey.
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You have a special story to tell. You can listen to your inner voice.
Your creativity, bravery, and personal voice can open unexpected doors and create small miracles.
This workshop is a creative process that inspires humor and confidence.
You will explore and record your inner most journey through meditation, gentle movement, self-refection, and stream of consciousness writing.
This workshop series explores the power of sharing your inner journey through story telling from written to spoken word. We will focus on monologues and how they are a powerful form of story telling. The integration of contemplative practices helps foster creativity, which in turn opens our hearts to our own inner story.
We will practice:
- Safe Space - Building a container of non-judgment
- Basic Breathing (vipasana) - Relaxation and Focus
- Gentle Yoga - Opening the body and intuition
- Contemplation and Meditation – Self-Refection
- Guided Visualization - Creativity
- Journaling – Stream of Consciousness writing
Both workshops will be a complete process. No yoga, meditation, acting or writing experience necessary. Wear comfortable clothes. Please bring a pen and journal. |
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Workshops will be held at
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ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT & PERFORMER
Called “One of the Most Inspiring People in Philadelphia” by US Airways Magazine, June 2008, “Best Yoga Instructor” by City Vote 2008, “Best Yoga Instructor 2007” by Philly Fit magazine, and "a real Goddess” by the Philadelphia Inquirer, Jennifer Schelter is an expert in mind-body well-being, observational precision and peak performance modalities that get you calm, and your focused best.
Jennifer, founder and executive director of Yoga Schelter the premiere regional yoga studio in the East Falls section of Philadelphia, is a 500-hour Yoga Alliance Certified Experienced Yoga Teacher and Teacher Training facilitator. Besides her daily teaching schedule, her corporate clients include GlaxoSmithKline, Medtronic, Wharton Business School, and University of Pennsylvania.
She is the founder of “The Radiant Retreat”, a transformative retreat to Maya Tulum, Mexico (which she leads and collaborates with writer/performer Ann Randolph). She is the visionary of Yoga Unites®, a non-profit that provides tools for well-being, self-awareness and self-expression for underserved populations such as the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society - Youth Environmental Stewardship, Philadelphia Mural Arts and Arthur Ashe Tennis Center. Her leadership directs over 1,000 enthusiasts annually at “Yoga Unites for Living Beyond Breast Cancer” on the Philadelphia Art Museum steps. The event has become the largest, regionally-beloved annual event of its kind in the country. The production is growing in leaps and bounds and produces expanded revenues each year.
 In October 2009 Jennifer, along with Phyllis Bookspan, founder of RYAH Yoga and Health, co-founded An Authentic Journey into Yoga, Health and Happiness: The Creation of A Successful Life, a 200-hour RYAH/Schelter-Yoga Teacher Training. She is also the producer of the audio yoga CD, am Awake, as well as the DVD, The Art of Vinyasa Yoga.
As an actress and playwright, Jennifer performed her one-woman tour-de-force, LOVE LESSONS FROM ABU GHRAIB, to a standing ovation at the Philadelphia Fringe Festival in September 2007, the Philadelphia Arts and Democracy Conference in June 2008, and was produced by Amnesty International at the Capital Hill Arts Center, Washington, DC, Haverford College, and Eastern Amnesty International Conference in October 2009. Additionally, portions of LOVE LESSONS, along with her short story, "The Michelangelo Effect," were published in the 2006 summer edition of Wild River Review.
A member of Actors' Equity and the Screen Actors Guild, Jennifer originated the role of Cat in the 2006 World Premiere of THE FAMILY ROOM by Nagle Jackson at Hedgerow Theatre. In 1998 she originated the role of Cordelia in the World Premiere of TAKING LEAVE by Nagle Jackson at the Denver Center Theatre Company, where she jointly accepted the Tony Award for best regional theatre. She has also worked at the renowned Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, as well as other leading regional theatres across the country.
 Jennifer has traveled to Europe, the Balkans, Asia, Southeast Asia, South America and the Caribbean photographing the local personalities, and painting watercolors of landscapes, architecture, and animals. In the summer of 1997, she was selected for Art Retreat Week on the Island of Great Spruce Head, Maine, at the home of American Artist Fairfield Porter. She has sold her work to friends and patrons alike for years; those seeking aliveness and authenticity.
After graduating from Germantown Friends School, she attended Philadelphia college of Art and University of Syracuse in Florence, Italy. She graduated both from Connecticut College with a Bachelor of Arts in Art History and Oil Painting and the University of San Diego/Old Globe Theatre Program with a Masters in Theatre.
For more information regarding her inspired yoga, meditation and writing classes, integral growth coaching, and retreats for individuals and corporate clients, visit her award winning website: www.YogaSchelter.com.
Talking With... Jennifer Schelter
Read an interview with the playwright & performer of LOVE LESSONS FROM ABU GHRAIB
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
is pleased to be together once again with Ms. Shelter, directing LOVE LESSONS FROM ABU GHRAIB, now in its 4th incarnation. After working for Melanie Stewart Dance Theatre, Anne studied physical theatre at the renowned Ecole Philipe Gaulier in London, U.K. Upon her return, she began creating socio-political pieces that performed for the Philadelphia Fringe Festivals and collaborated with Myra Bazell to write the script for EXTREME. During that time she also directed for and presented in small theatres around Philadelphia, and the Ritz Theatre in NJ where she began her love of teaching while working with the autistic and deaf students who attended their camp. She now celebrates her 4th year working with students with disabilities at Wissahickon Charter School, the country’s only urban school with an environmental mission.
PERFORMANCE CALENDAR
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JANUARY
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FEBRUARY
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SUBSCRIPTIONS & TICKETS
Purchasing Tickets or Subscriptions:
215.568.8079
InterAct's Box Office at The Adrienne, 2030 Sansom St., Phila
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Anne Zumbo (Director)
