Young Girls Speak Out at UN Commission on the Status of Women 3/1

Project Girl Performance Collective (PGPC), www.projectgirlperformancecollective.org a New York-based non profit organization that provides teens with a fearless space to create and perform original work, debuts a cutting-edge new show at the 64th UN Commission on the Status of Women called "GirlPower: Survival of the Fittest". The show's producer, Jessica Greer Morris, had her "Project Girls" explore global issues affecting women to jump-start their new show. Ms. Morris also helped to launch Man Up Campaign, a youth-led movement to stop violence against women and girls, at the World Cup in South Africa this summer.

Through monologues, spoken word, song, and dance, PGPC's performance will address this year's CSW theme of women's access to education, science and technology and promotion of women's equal access to full employment and decent work. This performance is made possible by ECPAT USA (End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking), the International Council of Jewish Women, the International Federation of Business and Professional Women and the International Federation of University Women.

WHEN: Tuesday, March 1, 2011
WHERE: The Salvation Army Theater, 221 East 52nd Street
TIME: 2:00p - Project Girl Performance
2:45p - Talkback with the Cast

Members of PGPC performed a preview of their work at the 2011 Annual Consultation Day on February 21st. Jackie Shapiro, Vice-Chair of ECPAT-USA said of their performance, "Participants were blown away. We eagerly anticipate the extended performance of these creative and talented girls. In our conversations about eliminating discrimination and violence against girls, nothing is more powerful and moving than seeing the world through the voices of girls themselves."

The Cast

The show is directed by Ashley Marinaccio, founder of Project Girl Performance Collective and features a diverse ensemble of girls between the ages of 12 and 21, from the tri-state area and includes: Deanna Alexandra (16, Long Island, NY), Drue Clark (12, Plainfield, NJ), Dominique Fishback (19, Brooklyn, NY), Monica Furman (16, Brooklyn, NY), Kaitlyn Howard (13, Plainfield, NJ), Stacey Oliver (18, Ridgefield, CT), Samantha Phillips (16, Warwick, NY), ), Lillian Rodriguez (21, Brooklyn, NY), Emily Rupp (21, Manhattan, NY), Blaise Sandberg (16, Long Island, NY), Monae Slaughter (14, Plainfield, NJ), Mari Sparrow (15, Plainfield, NJ), Karen Vigo (19, Bronx, NY), Kelsey Ann Watts (12, Manhattan, NY) Alexa Winston (16, Manhattan, NY) Zoe Wolfe (17, Manhattan, NY).