DESCRIPTION

Project Girl Performance Collective (PGPC) was established in August 2008 when founder Ashley Marinaccio and a fellow graduate school classmates at NYU’s Tisch School for the Arts, were asked to write and produce a show about girls for the Estrogenius Theatre Festival, an annual event at the Manhattan Theatre Source. Twelve young women, ages 13-17, from various racial and socioeconomic backgrounds, were cast. It became clear at the first rehearsal that the show would be more meaningful if written by the girls. The producers realized right away that giving young women the opportunity to create their own work, would not only spark exciting theatre, but would empower these teens to think critically, challenge stereotypes, foster friendships, and build tools for bringing about positive change in their own communities.