Doctor Who star Jon Pertwee and fan Michael Broussard at WhoFEST in Buffalo, NY in 1984
On February 1st, 2025 on Zoom I will be presenting my solo play about healing from childhood trauma, including the role Doctor Who played in that journey. You can get free tickets for that performance at survivorplay.eventbrite.com.
It is no exaggeration to say Doctor Who saved my life. In the late 1970s I felt utterly alone, isolated, trapped in complex PTSD from years of abuse. But that all changed when I discovered Doctor Who, and subsequently, Doctor Who fandom.
To understand why this did so much for my healing, it is important to understand that the Doctor saves people. The Doctor stands up for those who cannot stand up for themselves. And most importantly, the Doctor vanquishes monsters. My life was filled with very real monsters, from the stepfather who sexually abused me for several years in early childhood, to the mother who still was verbally and violently abusing me every day.
I would turn on the TV and watch this amazing alien from the planet Gallifrey use wit, charm, ingenuity, and sometimes even a little Venusian aikido, to put the monsters in their place. Whether that Doctor wore a velvet smoking jacket and a flowing cape, a floppy hat and an impossibly long scarf, or a coat of highly contrasting colors and a cat pin, the common traits were a strong sense of justice and a dedication to protecting the vulnerable.
When I first discovered the show I was completely isolated, too damaged to go out and make friends. I spent most of my time alone in my room. But I was eventually coaxed out by the opportunity to meet my hero at a convention. I was still very shy and hardly spoke while waiting in line for an autograph from the Fourth Doctor, actor Tom Baker. But as I attended more conventions, I opened up, delighted to find friends who shared my interests.
That was the beginning of a journey that led to founding a Doctor Who fan club, supporting the show by appearing on PBS pledge drives (the show was on PBS back then), and meeting fans from all around the country. It even brought me to a fan who listened to my survivor story and offered understanding and support.
All of this is chronicled in my play, including the fact that Doctor Who has come back again and again in my life to offer healing in all kinds of ways, up to and including today.
I hope you will be there to hear my story, share in my healing, and celebrate the power of a little British sci-fi show called Doctor Who.
Again, the date is Saturday, February 1st, it’s happening on Zoom, and you can get free tickets at survivorplay.eventbrite.com.
There will be a free performance of the interactive play Ask A Sex Abuse Survivor on Saturday, February 1st, 2025 at 3pm EST on Zoom. Register to attend at survivorplay.eventbrite.com.
In the show, survivor Michael Broussard tells the story of the abuse he experienced as a child and of his path to healing. He does this in a series of vignettes, pausing after each vignette for attendee questions and comments.
“The brilliance of Michael’s approach comes down to this Q&A—without realizing it, we have been empowered to have a conversation that is still so taboo in our society. We leave the performance feeling compelled to pay greater attention to victims and survivors, to feel their pain more deeply, and to act more decisively to protect children from abuse.” -Children’s Advocacy Centers of Pennsylvania
While the show is fairly intense and sometimes dark in nature, it also includes a healthy amount of humor and, ultimately, a very positive, empowering and triumphant message of hope and healing.
“This production is an excellent illustration of the healing power of art and community.”– Psychologist Margaret D. Sayers
“I came away from the performance uplifted, braver, and will always remember Michael’s courage and draw strength from it when needed in my own life.” – Survivor and New England Director of SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) Dave O’Regan
“As a psychologist who treats survivors of childhood sexual abuse, I would highly recommend this show to anyone who struggles with the emotional aftermath of these traumas.” – Clinical Psychologist Dr. Elizabeth Dale Blair
“I walked away with an understanding of the survivor experience that no book, training, or even my years of work as a therapist ever could have given me.” – Clinician Maureen O’Regan, Orleans Psychotherapy Associates
Our next Survivor Stories event will be on Dec 14th, 2023, at 3pm EST on Zoom.
Poet and artist Jay Besemer will be answering questions and speaking from his experience as a trans and autistic survivor of abuse.
Jay is the author of numerous poetry collections, including “Your Tongue Is as Long as a Tuesday,” “Men & Sleep,” and the double chapbook “Wounded Buildings/Simple Machines.” He was a 2021 Lambda Literary Award Finalist for Transgender Poetry, and a finalist for the 2017 Publishing Triangle Award for Trans and Gender-Variant Literature. Find him online at www.jaybesemer.net.
There will be a free performance of the interactive play Ask A Sex Abuse Survivor on November 16th at 8pm EST on Zoom. Register to attend at http://tinyurl.com/askasexabusesurvivor.
In the show, survivor Michael Broussard tells the story of the abuse he experienced as a child and of his path to healing. He does this in a series of vignettes, pausing after each vignette for attendee questions and comments.
“The brilliance of Michael’s approach comes down to this Q&A—without realizing it, we have been empowered to have a conversation that is still so taboo in our society. We leave the performance feeling compelled to pay greater attention to victims and survivors, to feel their pain more deeply, and to act more decisively to protect children from abuse.” -Children’s Advocacy Centers of Pennsylvania
While the show is fairly intense and sometimes dark in nature, it also includes a healthy amount of humor and, ultimately, a very positive, empowering and triumphant message of hope and healing.
“This production is an excellent illustration of the healing power of art and community.”– Psychologist Margaret D. Sayers
“I came away from the performance uplifted, braver, and will always remember Michael’s courage and draw strength from it when needed in my own life.” – Survivor and New England Director of SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) Dave O’Regan
“As a psychologist who treats survivors of childhood sexual abuse, I would highly recommend this show to anyone who struggles with the emotional aftermath of these traumas.” – Clinical Psychologist Dr. Elizabeth Dale Blair
“I walked away with an understanding of the survivor experience that no book, training, or even my years of work as a therapist ever could have given me.” – Clinician Maureen O’Regan, Orleans Psychotherapy Associates
Our next Survivor Stories event will be on Feb 1, 2023, at 7pm EST on Zoom.Sexual abuse survivor Michael Skinner will be telling his story and taking your questions.
Our next Survivor Stories event will be on January 12, 2023, at 3pm EST on Zoom.Sexual abuse survivor Yonah Kohn will be telling his story and taking your questions.
Our next Survivor Stories event will be on December 15th, 2022, at 3pm EST on Zoom.Sexual abuse survivor Arci Grey will be telling her story and taking your questions.
From Meg Lenherr, NCC, Counselor for Women’s Services, Inc. – “As a counselor who works with survivors of sexual trauma every day, I was amazed at the healing power of Michael’s honesty and courage while standing in front of an audience to perform his story in such a raw way. With splashes of colorful humor throughout the performance, Michael authentically and daringly painted the picture of the torment and abuse he experienced in a way that became tangible and relatable to everyone in the room. Before his performance was over I witnessed true healing in some survivors in the audience, who were able to discover, through Michael’s brave retelling of his story and the opportunity to ask questions, that they were not alone. Michael showed us that no one has to be alone as a survivor, and that everyone can heal. Whether you are a survivor or simply a supporter you will not be able to walk away without being deeply affected.”
