The search for understanding: Two views of adoption, on stage and in letters
Like most of us, Brian Stanton wanted to know who he was. Or rather, where he’d come from. But his questions were framed by the fact that he’d been adopted…
By Lisa Napoli • • 1 min readThat quest and the startling revelations he uncovered are the basis of his one-man show, “Blank,” which he’ll perform this weekend at the Lounge Theater in Hollywood.
“Do genes have anything to do with who I am?” Stanton wondered. “Is it only my environment that defines me? I have two birth certificates! The slot by the “Name” space on my other birth certificate is blank! Who is that person that fills in the blank? I’m not who I thought I was!!”
Modern, open adoption is different than the time in which Stanton was raised, when it was often kept a “secret.” The dark side of Brian’s creation poses more questions than it answers, as he conveys in his show.
Here’s a clip of the show.
Alongside Stanton’s performance is a reading by Patti Hawn (Hollywood publicist, sister of Goldie, grandmother of four), who tells another side of the story. She explores what it’s like to give a child up for adoption. Like Stanton, Hawn was shocked by what she found when she discovered her now-adult son. She’ll read this from her book “Good Girls Don’t” as part of the show.
Sunday, 7pm, Lounge Theater, Hollywood, Details here