THE SECRET LIFE OF GIRLS Set for Laguna Playhouse Youth Theatre

"An estimated 160,000 children miss school every day out of fear of attack or intimidation by other students," reports the National Education Association.

Parents and teenagers can learn more about the solutions to emotional bullying in schools at a performance of The Secret Life of Girls, a play by Linda Daugherty, directed by Donna Inglima, and presented by The Laguna Playhouse's Theatre for a New Generation on March 9 through 11. Experts on the topic will be guest speakers for special Stage Talks following each evening performance.

Daugherty, a mother of two, interviewed hundreds of middle school and high school girls, both the victims and the instigators of bullying, to reflect these realities in her play.

The Secret Life of Girls follows Abby, a new girl in town who tries to find acceptance on her school's championship volleyball team. She encounters Stephanie, the most popular girl in school, who uses her friendship as a weapon of manipulation by pretending to be friends with a girl one day and then backstabbing her the next. Exclusion is another key issue explored in this play (such as when a girl emails her friends an invite to a party and says "Don't tell anyone-it's just us four tonight!"). Gossip, rumors and cliques are other issues explored in the play-issues that can break the hearts of young girls at a vulnerable time in their lives.

Today, new social technology including cell phones, email, and Facebook intensifies bullying by taking it beyond the school walls and into the secluded bedrooms of girls. According to Susan Fee, a licensed counselor who specializes in health and wellness of girls in Seven Hills, Ohio, a post on Facebook takes about 15 seconds to spread to 100 people. This type of bullying can lead to destructive behaviors in girls such as depression, cutting, eating disorders, and premature sexuality.

The Secret Life of Girls has received praise across the country. The People Newspapers in Dallas Texas said, "This play is not about real life. It is real life ... If you have a daughter under 18, you need to see this show. And if she's over 11, you need to take her with you. Linda Daugherty's powerful script ...[is] what many say the theater should be-a moment for reflection about what's true and, in this case, dangerously hidden." Better Than Broadway.com said, "Take every female you know to see this play, then go somewhere and talk. It is a candid, stark, and artistically brutal look at bullying, peer pressure, self-abuse, and finding one's own value. ... shocking and boldly written."

Performance Dates
March 9 - 11 at 7:30 p.m.
Student Matinees: March 10 & 11 at 10 a.m.

Ticket Price
$12.50

FOR INFORMATION & TO PURCHASE TICKETS:
CALL: 949.497.ARTS (2787) - GROUP SALES: 949.497.2787 ext. 229
VISIT: www.LagunaPlayhouse.com
MOULTON THEATRE: 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, California

ABOUT THEATRE FOR A NEW GENERATION

Theatre for a New Generation offers thoughtful and compelling productions for teenaged audiences who may have outgrown our Youth Theatre Season.

Each TNG play is a fully-evolved piece of theatre and may involve Youth Conservatory students. Plays are chosen for their relevance to the concerns of teenagers and for their ability to communicate frankly and directly, at a level those teenagers will respect and appreciate.

TNG plays are for teens, parents and educators, and parental discretion is strongly advised. The content of the plays is typically similar to PG-rated or PG-13-rated movies. There is no nudity, but the language may at times be gritty or profane. The subject matter is always challenging, and has ranged from plays about the Holocaust, racism and school violence, to works about damaging rumors about sexual identity and the need to overcome self-destructive behavior.

ABOUT Laguna Playhouse
Founded in 1920, the Laguna Playhouse is one of the oldest continuously-operating theatres on the West Coast, and has evolved from an amateur theater into a professional League of Resident Theatres (LORT).

More than 100,000 theatergoers annually attend performances at the Laguna Playhouse. Noted for its Award Winning Youth Theater, Education and Community Outreach programs, The Playhouse's continued growth, expansion, artistic excellence, audience popularity and critical acclaim have helped make it one of Southern California's most important nonprofit theatre companies.

 

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