New TV Series Inspired by JAGGED LITTLE PILL Premieres This Week

The Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment has announced that "Wake Up: Why Social Responsibility in Theatre Matters" will premiere on television on April 2.

This is a virtual discussion series inspired by the themes in the award-winning hit Broadway musical "Jagged Little Pill," which is based on Alanis Morissette's GRAMMY-winning 1995 album of the same title with an original story by Oscar-winning writer Diablo Cody.

In observance of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, the four-part television series will premiere on Friday, April 2 at 11pm on NYC Life, the lifestyle channel of the City of New York's broadcast network NYC Media. With one episode running each Friday through April 23, the series features members of the "Jagged Little Pill" cast, creative, and producing teams, engaged in virtual roundtable discussions on four themes: sexual assault; gender expression and sexuality; transracial adoption and race representation; and opioid addiction.

Check out the promo video!

The "Jagged Little Pill" vets are joined in conversation by members of a special committee of experts organized by the musical's creators and co-producer Level Forward, and called the Impact Board of Advisors. The Impact Board was formed under the leadership of the Tony Award-winning director, Diane Paulus, with a goal of setting a higher standard of sensitivity and awareness within the company of "Jagged Little Pill," and a template for shows to come. Each committee member specializes in an issue addressed in the musical, and advised the creative team and cast throughout the show's development.

The following are the members of the "Jagged Little Pill" company and Impact Board who participated in each of the episodes. Please click here for more information about the Impact Board and their affiliated organizations.

• On Sexual Assault (April 2): Diane Paulus, Director, "Jagged Little Pill"; Tony Award-nominated cast members Kathryn Gallagher and Derek Klena; and Ted Bunch, Co-Founder of A Call To Men and Impact Board Member.

• On Gender Expression & Sexuality (April 9): Tony Award-nominated "Jagged Little Pill" actress Lauren Patten; Oscar-winning writer Diablo Cody; producer Eva Price; and Impact Board Members, Carmelyn Malalis, NYC Commissioner on Human Rights, and artist, activist and scholar, P. Carl.

• On Transracial Adoption & Representation of Race (April 16): Tony Award-nominated "Jagged Little Pill" actress Celia Rose Gooding; producer Arvind Ethan David; and Impact Board Member and The Adopted Life founder, Angela Tucker.

• On Addiction (April 23): Tony Award-nominated "Jagged Little Pill" cast members Elizabeth Stanley and Sean Allan Krill; producer Vivek J. Tiwary; and Impact Board member and Learn To Cope founder, Joanne Peterson.

"The Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment and NYC Media are proud to work with the team at 'Jagged Little Pill' to launch this series during Sexual Assault Awareness Month," said the Commissioner of the NYC Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment Anne del Castillo. "This new series inspires important conversations around gender based violence, sexism, racism and substance abuse. It also showcases the power of theatre to connect people through storytelling while raising awareness of critical issues."

"We're so thrilled to be partnering with the Mayor's Office to release this series, which highlights the rigorous work, powerful partnerships, and vital experiences that continue to support 'Jagged Little Pill's mission in advocating for socially-responsible storytelling in theatre," said director Diane Paulus. "This extended period of suspension for the live arts community has been incredibly challenging, but it has also been a crucial time of social activism and reflection. The idea of 'waking up' to face the world around us is a major theme of our musical, and of Alanis Morissette's music, so we felt inspired to reconvene virtually with our Impact Advisors in this pivotal moment and share our process."