Oakton to host “Voices of Men” to educate about violence against

A one-man play using humor and celebrity male voice impressions to educate about men’s violence against women comes to Oakton Community College at 1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 19, at the Footlik Theater, 1600 E. Golf Road, Des Plaines. The performance is free and open to the public.

Sponsored by Oakton’s Center for Campus Inclusion and Diversity, “Voices of Men” features actor Ben Atherton-Zeman delivering a dynamic performance that can make audiences laugh and cry while gaining insights into the prevalence and impact of male violence toward women.

Atherton-Zeman has given performances and presentations in 45 states, Canada, England, Turkey, China, South Africa, India, Nepal, Scotland, Spain and the Czech Republic. He also is the U.S. ambassador for the Stop Acid Attacks campaign. “Voices of Men” features the actor dressed in colorful costumes, doing celebrity impersonations while words and images flash on the screen behind him. Please note, the performance includes graphic representations of violence.

“I’ve had the privilege of meeting Ben in person during a performance when I was in college,” Oakton Student Conduct Manager and Deputy Title IX Coordinator Rob Peterson says. “His message of gender and relationship equality is both impactful and entertaining.”

According to voicesofmen.org, Atherton-Zeman identifies himself as a “recovering sexist” and promotes that men must challenge violence and sexism in the world and in themselves. For over 15 years, Atherton-Zeman has worked as a prevention educator for rape crisis centers, domestic violence programs and state coalitions.

“His performance is a tolerant and engaging approach to move attendees from being bystanders to active participants and advocates against relationship violence,” Peterson says. “The community will enjoy watching and learning from Ben.”

For more information, contact Peterson at rpeterson@oakton.edu.