Glaspie, along with her close friend Lisa Ford-Brown, have combined those personal narratives, and the two are now directing the new performance, Promises in Pink. Both women are doctoral students in the speech communication department.

The performance is a compilation of 12 narratives collected from breast cancer survivors and the people close to them.

Glaspie said the narratives range from serious to comedic; each story is as individual as the person who told it.

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Some (narratives) are very powerful, she said.

Some are very funny, because it (performance) is a celebration of life and dignity.

Glaspie said she was first inspired to collect narratives and stage the performance so other people with breast cancer would have normal, average people with whom to relate their experience.

Ford-Brown is writing her dissertation on breast cancer and the specific narratives in the play but credits her involvement in the play to her friendship with Glaspie. Watching her friend grow frustrated in attempting to find someone who would voice a similar experience moved Ford-Brown to join Glaspie in her efforts.

Both women have gathered narratives from conventions, though mostly by word-of-mouth. One of the narratives comes from as far as New York.

Glaspie said the performance is meant for everyone, men and women, because they want people to realize that breast cancer is nothing of which to be ashamed.

Every ethnic group, age, educational group is represented, she said.

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Men as well as women we don’t feel it is only the woman with breast cancer; it is also the family.

We want to make people realize that breast cancer is not something to be embarrassed about. It’s an opportunity for these people to hear the voices.

There are just too many people dying from (breast cancer), Glaspie said.

The directors said the performance stresses two points:that one out of eight women will develop breast cancer over the next year, and that the disease makes one a survivor, not a victim.

Glaspie said this disease does not discriminate breast cancer is an equal opportunity cancer.

We try to stress in the show the definition of a breast cancer survivor, Ford-Brown said. We refuse to use the words patient or victim.

The directors quoted Linda Park-Fuller, a professor from Southwest Missouri State:A survivor is anyone who has lived with breast cancer for one day or 99 years.

Glaspie added that women with breast cancer do not automatically receive a death sentence but can chose to fight and live their lives with dignity.

Promises in Pink offers an opportunity to hear personal narratives from cancer survivors and their families.

Ford-Brown said the 10-member cast is ethnically accurate with the personal narratives.

They try to embody the people and stay true as humanly possible to the narrative, Ford-Brown said.

Promises in Pink starts tonight at 8 p.m. in Quigley Auditorium, and is a Kleinau Theatre production.

The show will run throughout the weekend. Ticket prices are $4 for public and $2 for students.