Project Girl's TRAFFICKED Plays at Plannet Connections Theatre Festivity, 5/30-6/24

Project Girl Performance Collective is pleased to announce the debut of TRAFFICKED, directed by Ashley Marinaccio and produced by human rights advocate Jessica Greer Morris, as part of the 4th Annual Planet Connections Theatre Festivity. The Festivity will take place May 30th through June 24th at The Theatres at 45 Bleecker in New York City.

Trafficked tells the story sex slavery and child exploitation through the eyes of fifteen young women. In an ensemble devised performance constructed by interviews, research and media, the cast puts a name and face to the undocumented girls and boys who are trafficked into the billion dollar sex industry each year.

Trafficked was inspired by our partners at the United Nations, ECPAT (Ending Child Prostitution and Trafficking) and GEMS (Girls Education and Mentoring Services) and created by members of Project Girl Performance Collective. The show features Project Girls (ages 14-22): Deanna Alexandra, Monica Furman, Dominique Fishback, Karen Vigo, Samantha Phillips, Sophie Walker, Tracey Hassel, Aya E. Abdelaziz, Jaida Foreman, Tiff Roma, Jael Charles, Chionesa Bakr, Mildred VictoRia Jones-Hamm and Georgie Exinord. Trafficked is assistant directed by Sydney Arndt. Christa Noelle is the stage manager. Lighting design is by Yael Lubetzky, Projection and Media design is by Gil Sperling and Set Design is by Tijana Bjelajac.

Trafficked is stage managed by Christa Noelle and assistant directed by Sydney Arndt, with lighting design by Yael Lubetzky, projection and media design by Gil Sperling and set design by Tijana Bjelajac.

The show is written and oerformed by Aya Abdelaziz (18, Manhattan, NY), Deanna Alexandra (17, Long Island), Georgie Exinord (15, Harlem, NY) Dominique Fishback (21, Brooklyn, NY), Jaida Foreman (14, Brooklyn NY) Monica Furman (17, Brooklyn, NY), Tracey Hassel (21, Manhattan, NY) Molly Kirschner (18, Montville NJ) Samantha Phillips (17, Warwick NY) Tiff Roma (21, Manhattan, NY) Karen Vigo (20, Bronx, NY) Sophie Walker (15, Brooklyn NY) Danielle Walker (21, Brooklyn NY), Chioneso Bakr (16, Brooklyn NY), Mildred VictoRia Jones-Hamm (21, Brooklyn NY), Jael Charles (17, Manhattan, NY).

Planet Connections Theatre Festivity May 30th - June 24th runs at the 45 Bleecker Street Theatre, located at 45 Bleecker Street (corner of Mulberry Street). Tickets $18. For tickets visit http://www.planetconnections.org/trafficked

TRAFFICKED plays the following schedule as part of the Planet Connections Theatre Festivity:

Monday 6/4/12 - 4:00pm = Performance #1

Friday 6/8/12 - 6:00pm = Performance #2

Sunday 6/10/12 - 5:30pm = Performance #3

Saturday 6/16/12 - 4:30pm = Performance #4

Thursday 6/21/12 - 5:00pm = Performance #5

Saturday 6/23/12 - 1:30pm = Performance #6

ASHLEY MARINACCIO (Director) Ashley is an activist and artist dedicated to creating theatre that challenges the status quo. She has numerous New York, Regional and National Tour directing, playwriting and performing credits. In addition to Project Girl Performance Collective, Ashley is a founder of Co-Op Theatre East (www.cooptheatreeast.org), alumna of Hemispheric Institute's EMERGENYC Fellowship, American Theatre Wing's Springboard NYC and proud member of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab. Most recently, Ashley gave a TED Talk at Columbia University's Teacher's College. Visit www.ashley-marinaccio.com for more information.

JESSICA GREER MORRIS (Producer) Jessica is a published playwright who wrote and starred in a New York Times-acclaimed one-woman show and has produced work for the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women conference, Samuel French One-Act Competition, NYC Fringe Festival, and the Estrogenius Festival. Jessica is also a principal at Man Up, a global youth-led campaign to stop violence against women that she helped launch in South Africa during the 2010 World Cup with 100 young activists from twenty-five countries. In 2012, Jessica was listed in Newsweek at one of the 150 Fearless Women Who "Shake Up the World" with Oprah, Lady Gaga and Hillary Clinton.

PROJECT GIRL PERFORMANCE COLLECTIVE Project Girl Performance Collective uses theater as a means to empower young women to become the architects of their own lives. We use a human rights based curriculum to help young women explore their own challenging circumstances, as well as those of their peers around the world. Our goal is help young women become brave, confident, supportive, socially conscious leaders. Visit Project Girl Performance Collective online at www.projectgirlperformancecollective.org.

THE PLANET CONNECTIONS THEATRE FESTIVITY is New York's premiere eco-friendly theatre festival. Fostering a diverse cross-section of performances, the festival seeks to inspire artists and audiences both creatively and fundamentally, in a festive atmosphere. At the heart of the festivity are like-minded individuals striving to create professional, meaningful theatre, while supporting organizations, which give back to the community at large.

Photo credit: Ashley Marinaccio