Girl Be Heard Artistic Director Ashley Marinaccio Honored by League of Professional Theatre Women

Girl Be Heard (www.girlbeheard.org) Founder and Artistic Director, Ashley Marinaccio, has been named recipient of the 2013 Lucille Lortel Women's Visionary Award by the League of Professional Theatre Women. The Award, established with an endowment given by Lucille Lortel, is given to women and organizations performing theatre outreach, development, and education work, outside the traditional parameters of production. Marinaccio, age 28, received this award at the annual Awards Luncheon at Sardi's in the heart of the theatre district.

"Girl Be Heard uses theatre to grow the next generation of women leaders, thinkers, and visionaries." says Marinaccio. "Our girls' stories give audiences perspective into the struggles of marginalized communities whether they are 4000 miles away or right next door."

Girl Be Heard is the brainchild of Ashley Marinaccio who devised the very first show at the Estrogenius Festival in 2008, based on the stories of twelve teen girls. Ms. Marinaccio has since expanded Girl Be Heard to include 115 young women (ages 12-21) and taken this theatre company of young women (most of whom are from underserved areas of New York City) to the White House, State Department, and on a five-city tour with the United Nations Girl Up Foundation. Through Girl Be Heard, Marinaccio has been empowering young women to become brave, confident, socially conscious leaders and explore their own challenging circumstances. Marinaccio has received critical acclaim for her work from The New Yorker, Backstage, Huffington Post, NYTheater.com, and The New York Times.

Girl Be Heard is a nonprofit theatre company that brings global issues affecting girls (from gun violence to sex trafficking) center stage by empowering young women to tell their stories. Girl Be Heard's performances have received critical acclaim from The White House, United Nations, New Yorker, NY Times, Huffington Post, Ebony Magazine, NPR, WBAI, NY1, NBC, and outlets across the globe. Join the movement at www.girlbeheard.org.