SLUT THE PLAY Returns for FringeNYC Encore Series, Now thru 9/29

SLUT, one of the most Popular Productions of the 2013 New York International Fringe Festival, will return for four more performances as part of the FringeNYC Encore Series from tonight, September 14 to 29.

The piece was developed by The Arts Effect All-Girl Theater Company, winner of Most Outstanding Ensemble, New York International Fringe Festival; named BEST Youth Theater Group in NYC, Nickelodeon/MTV; producers of the 2011 Off-Broadway hit, FACEBOOK ME. SLUT delves deep into teen sexual assault, one of the most frightening and highly-discussed topics in the news today. The play will also be performed in October as part of the special event "StopSlut: A Conference on Sexuality, Bullying, and Rape," which will be presented by The Arts Effect NYC, The New School, The Feminist Press, SoapBox Inc, and Equality Now.

Joey Del Marco is 16 years old. On a cold night in January, she puts on her favorite dress, her highest heels, and meets up with her oldest friends, George, Luke, and Tim, for a little pre-gaming. They hang out, play video games, dance, and down an entire bottle of Absolut. Everything is hazy fun, until they squeeze into the back of a cab. 45 minutes later, Joey's best friend Jane finds Joey locked in the bathroom at the party. She's on the floor, covered in her own vomit, with her underwear in her hand. Within hours, Facebook, Tumblr, and ASK.FM are flooded with photos and posts detailing what (or who) went down that night. Within days, homes and hallways are thick with rumor, gossip, and blame: She wanted it. She was drunk and out of control. She deserved it - did you see what she was wearing!? Why did she have condoms in her bag? She gave them all blow-jobs. Why didn't she stop the cab? She prides herself on being a SLUT. Through the eyes of real New York City teen girls, witness the choices and experience the fallout of one life altering Friday night.

In a culture where silence, pressure, and blame allow sexual assault and aggression to thrive - it's time to think beyond India and look even closer than Steubenville. SLUT daringly calls attention to the intense impact of "slut" culture, gang mentality, and the over-sexualization of girls and women on various communities.

"We want audiences to experience what it's like for girls today as they walk that fine line between sexual expression and coming into their sexual selves, while also dealing with objectification and sexual shaming. We are determined 'to hold a mirror up to nature' - our societal nature - by exploring the community response to slut-bashing and sexual aggression, and the unfortunately common INACTION of bystanders." - Katie Cappiello & Meg McInerney, Directors of SLUT and Founders of The Arts Effect All-Girl Theater Co.

"Slut is one of the most twisted words in our language. It's become an empowered word - to be a slut is to own your sexuality. But it's still, at the same time, a destructive word that can mark you as the dirtiest piece of trash on the planet. And the community decides when and how it's used. It's a badge of honor AND the scarlet letter." - Winnifred Bonjean-Alpart, 16-year-old member of The Arts Effect All-Girl Theater Co.

The show will run at The Players Theatre, 115 MacDougal Street, NYC. Sept 14 at 7:00 PM, Sept 15 at 2:00 PM, Sept 26 at 7:00 PM, and Sept 29 at 5:00 PM. For tickets, visit SlutThePlay.com.

The script is by Katie Cappiello and the piece is directed by Katie Cappiello and Meg McInerney.

SLUT Development Process: The Arts Effect All-Girl Theater Company, under the leadership of Katie Cappiello & Meg McInerney(honored by the National Women's Hall of Fame for their work with girls), crafted SLUT over a year's time through a unique combination of debate and discussion, improvisation, reflective writing, and character building around such themes as "slut" and "the sexualization of girls."

Evenstar is an independent film and theater Production Company, founded by Elizabeth Cuthrell and David Urrutia. Projects include the filmsMeek's Cutoff and Jesus' Son, and the Off-Broadway production Shoppers Carried by Escalators into the Flames. www.EvenstarFilms.com

"StopSlut: A Conference on Sexuality, Bullying, and Rape" - presented by The Arts Effect NYC, The New School, The Feminist Press, SoapBox Inc, and Equality Now - is a two-day NYC event open to the public that will explore the complexity of slut-shaming, the prevalence of sexual violence and aggression, and the challenge of healthfully owning one's sexuality in today's culture. The conference will focus particularly on the reality faced by teen girls in the US and steps that can be taken to StopSlut. Using the cutting-edge play, creating school-based Girls' Coalitions, engaging expert panelists, and offering spaces to openly and honestly discuss personal experiences, the national StopSlut Movement aims to provide concrete tools to help communities and individuals change perspectives and practices when it comes to girls and sexuality.

The conference is set for Friday Oct 18, 8-10pm, Theresa Lang Center, 55 West 13th Street, 2nd Floor, NYC, and Saturday, Oct 19, 9:30am-5:30pm, Tishmann Auditorium, 66 West 12th Street, NYC. Events are open to the public. Tickets can be reserved by visiting www.StopSlut.com.

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