Friends First, Sisters Second
What makes a friend a sister? What makes a sister a friend? Are some answers better left unknown?

Jump-Start Performance Co. presents a first glimpse of two independent plays that share themes of adoption and sisterhood, “Filling Blanks" by Lisa Suarez and "Sisters" by Sheila Sisler-Currie. While the plays will be produced in their entirety in a future Jump-Start season, this preview will be presented virtually on Friday and Saturday May 20 and 21, 2022 at 8:00pm and Sunday May 22, 2022 at 3:00pm CST. Admission is at the viewer’s discretion to "choose-what-you-pay": $0, $5, $10, $15. A link to watch will be emailed after the purchase is completed. Tickets are available at jump-start.org and on FB@jumpstartperformanceco. For more information call (210) 227-JUMP (5867).

"Filling Blanks" by Lisa Suarez
Two adult sisters realize that their long-time resentment of each other stems from childhood misconceptions, but they become aware that fact-checking is now impossible since the ones with the answers are long gone. The sisters attempt to fill in the blanks in their stories with sometimes comical, sometimes disturbing results and revelations. Are some blanks just better left alone? For “Filling Blanks,” Lisa Suarez used interviews and conversations with siblings to gather and document their experiences of being adopted or not knowing who their “real” dads are. Featuring: Giomara Bazaldua and Lilla Bernal

"Sisters" by Sheila Sisler-Currie
Following the death of their father, three young sisters are abandoned at an adoption agency by their mother. Each girl was adopted or in foster care from the late 60's through the early 70”s. The sisters recount contending with situations of extreme abuse and their struggles to remain strong through adversity and change. Featuring: Pamela Dean-Kenny, Kim Corbin, Fran Sells and Sheila Sisler-Currie.

Both Lisa and Sheila are writers, directors and performers, and long-time Jump-Start company members. They’ve enjoyed collaborating to present Friends First, Sisters Second.

Please note:
This production includes explicit material and may not be suitable for all audiences.
Adoption and foster care are an important part of our society and provide children with care, guidance and love. Each year some 150,000 children are successfully adopted in the U.S. Approximately 80,000 start in foster care.
Friends First, Sisters Second is a work of fiction and portrays incidental events that DO NOT represent the vast majority of adoptions and foster care events.

Jump-Start Performance Co. is dedicated to the discovery and support of new ideas in arts and arts education. By encouraging visionary thought and non-traditional approaches. Jump-Start is committed to the creation of art that is a lasting voice of diverse cultures and communities.

Jump-Start Performance Co. acknowledges with gratitude the following funders: City of San Antonio Department of Arts & Culture, Texas Commission on the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, Alice Kleberg Reynolds Foundation and the Recovery Fund for the Arts, E. B. Loch Charitable Fund and John L. Santikos Charitable Foundation of the San Antonio Area Foundation. We are also grateful for the sustaining support of our individual donors.