Youth Activism Takes The Stage In #HereToo Project, With Support From Tectonic Theater Project

Tectonic Theater Project in partnership with the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, supports the presentation of #HereToo, a play in progress, on Monday, March 16 at 7:30 pm. The program will take place at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Avenue (at 76th Street).

This event, the NYC debut of moments from #HereToo -- stories of gun violence and youth activism, will feature contributions from March For Our Lives activist (and Parkland survivor) Alex Wind. New York City's own Luis Hernandez of Youth Over Guns is also featured in the play. The evening celebrates the work of longtime Tectonic Theater Project company members Barbara Pitts McAdams (The Laramie Project) and Jimmy Maize (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child). #HereToo is created from interviews with young activists and survivors from across the country as they grapple with the gun violence epidemic and strive to create change on the local, state and national levels. #HereToo chronicles the events following the February 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Florida at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School: school walkouts, the March For Our Lives in Washington, D.C and the Road to Change bus tour to get out the vote. From this starting point, activists and survivors from different regions of the United States become the main characters and events of the play.

Project Dramaturg Jeanmarie Higgins says, "#HereToo shines a light on the wave of youth activism happening all over the country right now. Much like Tectonic's ground-breaking play, The Laramie Project, by using the actual words of young people, we come away feeling hopeful, despite the magnitude of this issue."

What distinguishes #HereToo Project from other interview-based plays is its scope and flexible content. The interviews gathered for each regional production become part of an open-source database that can be used to shape future iterations of #HereToo. The national and regional story throughlines are maintained, but local content can be swapped in, to truly speak to a community and drive home the point: gun violence and efforts to confront the issue are happening "Here, Too."

"There isn't one narrative about the gun violence epidemic," says co-creator Pitts McAdams. "Some communities, like State College, Pennsylvania, have a positive and family oriented gun and hunting culture, so the play's customizable structure makes space for those voices."

For Tickets and more information for the March 16 event, call Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan Box Office at 646-505-5708 or go the website: https://jccmanhattan.org/programs/heretoo-play-reading

More Information about #HereToo Project can be found on its website www.heretooproject.com or Contact: Barbara Pitts McAdams, #HereToo Project Co-creator, barbaramcadams@me.com 917-593-0711.

About the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
Together with its community, the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan creates opportunities for people to connect, grow, and learn within an ever-changing Jewish landscape. Located on 76th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, the JCC is a vibrant non-profit community center on the Upper West Side. The cornerstone of progressive programming in Manhattan, the JCC serves over 55,000 people annually through 1,200 programs each season that educate, inspire, and transform participants' minds, bodies, and spirits. Since its inception, the JCC has been committed to serving the community by offering programs, classes, and events that extend beyond neighborhood boundaries, reaching people at all stages of their lives. Learn more at jccmanhattan.org.

About #HereToo Project co-creators

Barbara Pitts McAdams is co-author of MOMENT WORK: Tectonic Theater Project's Process of Devising Theater. Barb was an actor/co-creator in the original company of Tectonic's The Laramie Project and appears in the HBO film version (shared Emmy Nomination, Best Adapted Screenplay). Barbara is a sought after director/lead deviser of new works, often dealing with social justice themes. She was the 2018 Margaret Hill Visiting Artist at Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame, devising an interview-based play about campus-wide inclusion and diversity struggles. She was in residence at the Krannert Center at University of IL - Urbana Champaign in 2019, directing and co-creating Because I Am Your Queen: a feminist fantasia. She is an adjunct at Drew University where she co-leads all new devising projects, as the key Tectonic partner for its annual Tectonic/Drew devised show.

Jimmy Maize is currently the associate director of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway. He is a writer/director/designer and member of Tectonic Theater Project. Tectonic collaborations include 33 Variations (Broadway, starring Jane Fonda), The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later (BAM), I Am My Own Wife (Broadway, Pulitzer Prize), One Arm (The New Group), as well as teaching Moment Work nationally and internationally through Tectonic's Moment Work Institute. Writing/Directing credits include The Temple Bombing (Alliance Theatre, GA), Harbored (En Garde Arts / Arts Brookfield / LMCC's River to River Festival), Burn The End (The New School)