V-Day NYC 2010

V-DAY NEW YORK CITY 2010

JOINS GLOBAL EFFORT

TO STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST

WOMEN AND GIRLS

As part of the V-Day Worldwide Campaign

_gaia and Looking Glass Theatre present

their benefit performance of

A MEMORY, A MONOLOGUE, A RANT AND A PRAYER:

Writings To Stop Violence Against Women and Girls

Directed by Rose Ginsberg at Looking Glass Theatre on

February 12 at 8 p.m. and February 13 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.

V-Day New York City 2010 is proud to join the global effort to raise money and awareness for local organizations that work to stop violence against women and girls. A MEMORY, A MONOLOGUE, A RANT AND A PRAYER: Writings To Stop Violence Against Women and Girls, is a groundbreaking collection of monologues by world-renowned authors and playwrights, edited by Eve Ensler and Mollie Doyle. These writings are inspired, funny, angry, heartfelt, tragic, and beautiful. But above all, together they create a true and profound portrait of how violence against women affects every one of us. A diverse cast will perform the monologues, directed by veteran director Rose Ginsberg.

Featuring: Alena Acker, Jenn Boehm, Ann Breitbach, Bethany Bryan, Alessandra Cardoso,

Elena Chang, Meaghan Connaire, Chelsey Curry, Missy Hernandez, Kaira Klueber, JessAnn Smith and Tara Thierry. Click here for bios

All performances will take place at Looking Glass Theatre, 422 West 57th Street in New York, NY, (between 9th and 10th Avenues) on February 12 at 8 p.m. and February 13 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets for all performances are $18 online and $20 at the door. Tickets can be purchased at here.

The V-Day New York City 2010 campaign is being co-produced by _gaia and Looking Glass Theatre, two organizations with similar missions in supporting the female voice and fostering works by women. They have joined together to celebrate seven years of ending violence towards women and girls in New Jersey, New York City and beyond.

_gaia is a collection of women artists that works to actively support the creativity of local women. Looking Glass Theatre’s mission is to theatrically and truthfully reflect a female vision on the stage while creating a community of artistic freedom.

Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit Women In Need, Inc. (WIN) of New York City, NY, the York Street Project of Jersey City, NJ and V-Day’s 2010 International Spotlight. Women in Need, Inc. provides housing, help and hope to New York City women and their families who are homeless and disadvantaged. York Street Project in Jersey City takes on the highly-visible factors of Education, Housing and Childcare that block our women from creating self-fulfilled, self-sufficient lives along with the less visible factors: healing the hidden damage that the cycle exacts. In addition to benefiting the two local anti-violence groups, ten percent proceeds will go to this year’s V-Day international spotlight theme, THE WOMEN OF THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO.

_gaia and Looking Glass Theatre will also be collecting toiletries, gently-used business attire, children's clothing and shoes, diapers, cloth bibs, wipes (refills for rectangular boxes), non-perishable snack items and much more for both beneficiaries. For a complete list of items, click here.

For up-to-date performance information visit _gaia, Looking Glass Theatre or V-Day.

Join us and change the story of women!

GLOBAL SPONSORS: Dramatists Play Service, Amanda Keidan Jewelry, LUNA, Random House,

Shawn & Shane, Vosges Haut-Chocolat

LOCAL SPONSORS: _gaia, Looking Glass Theatre, Art Kitchen, Design Factory, Garden State Rollergirls, Hell’s Kitchen Lounge, Lady M Confections and Melita Wines.

V-Day 2010: A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and a Prayer

Presented by _gaia and Looking Glass Theatre

February 12-13, 2010

SCHEDULE: Friday, February 12 @ 8pm; Saturday, February 13 @ 3pm and 8pm

TICKET PRICE: $18 in advance, $20 at the door

ADDRESS: 422 West 57th Street (btwn 9th//10th Aves)

PHONE: (212) 307-9467

CAST & CREATIVE TEAM!

ALENA ACKER hails from Detroit, Michigan and is therefore tough as nails. She is grateful for the opportunity to use her talents for such a vital cause. Alena spent almost two years in South Korea creating and performing theatre at an educational theme park. In New York she was most recently seen in the musical review If This Ain't It at Theater for the New City and she performs regularly Off-Broadway in LMAO, a nifty musical improv comedy show. Alena dedicates her performance to every woman out there who feels she does not have a voice.

JENN BOEHM, originally from North Dakota, is delighted to be a part of her third V-DAY with Rose Ginsberg and her second with _gaia, raising awareness and support for the global campaign to end violence against women and girls. The Managing Director at Looking Glass, her recent acting credits include What Happens to Women Here (Stone Soup Theatre Arts), The Ghost Dancers (Stone Soup at the Sanford Meisner Theater and its return engagement in MITF at the June Havoc Theatre - MITF Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play) and A Chicken Goes to Broadway (Peter Jay Sharp Theatre). Jenn was last seen on the Looking Glass stage in Brecht's Baal. She is also the Managing Director of Planet Connections Theatre Festivity, New York’s premiere eco-friendly theatre festival, giving back to the community at large. Love to Greg.

ANN BREITBACH was last seen as Lavinia in Titus Andronicus. During Titus a courageous woman lost her life. Tracy Trevett was not only a teacher, friend, & director, she was also the most amazing woman I have ever had the honor to know, love, and learn from. She helped me find an acceptance of who I am, the shit I've been through, and what it means to be a woman. This performance is dedicated to her and women everywhere who won't “let doubt and negativity win.” “You have to rely on faith and your own sense of survival. And you evolve.” - Shirley MacLaine

BETHANY BRYAN's last role before this one was playing a Munchkin in a terrible high school production of The Wizard of Oz. As a short person, she felt typecast and therefore retired from acting to pursue a career in publishing and writing instead. She would thank the amazing women and men who have shaped her life, but her ego is far too big to allow for any sharing of this space. (You should know that she totally stuffed her bra for this role.)

ALESSANDRA CARDOSO is proud to be making her stage debut in MMRP! Born in Riberirao Preto, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Alessandra moved to the U.S. in 1996 speaking no English. Soon after, she began to travel the world as a model (USA, France, Germany, Italy, England, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Austria, Spain, Chile, Dubai, South Africa, and Brazil) after a few years of jet setting, Alessandra moved to LA to study acting. In Autumn 2009, she moved to NYC and now studies acting with William Esper.

ELENA CHANG was last seen at the Brick Theatre as Rosa/Jaq in Horse Trade Production's Punk Rock/ Love Song, an adaptation of Love's Labour's Lost. Elena is truly honored tonight to be a part of V-Day NYC 2010. She would like to dedicate this performance to all those women who have fiercely fought and continue to fight for their beliefs. “When we speak we are afraid our words will not be heard or welcomed. But when we are silent, we are still afraid. So it is better to speak.” -Audre Lorde. Special thanks to Rose and this awesome group of women. Survival of the heartist.

MEAGHAN CONNAIRE is not an actor. She has been in two productions in her entire life and they were both The Vagina Monologues. She would like to say this: Acting is not something you can do on your own. Many, many people contributed to her performance. She would like to thank her parents, for never giving her a ride to the theatre; Rose, for taking a chance on a unknown kid, and last but not least, the wonderful crew of women who spent hours on stage with her, without which she might never have been able to perform.

CHELSEY CURRY is thrilled to be working with Rose and _gaia in this year’s V-Day! This is Chelsey's second time participating in MMRP with the wonderful Rose and her third year spreading the V-Day message to stop violence against women. Thank you to everyone who made this production possible, and to you for your support.

MISSY HERNANDEZ - As an actress, singer, and writer, Missy refuses to stop playing make-believe… or dress up. She graduated with a degree in Film Studies and Philosophy from Columbia University where she appeared in several original student productions including Wake Her Up and The Band Behind the Curtain. Currently a student at William Esper Studios, she has performed in numerous NYU and Columbia Graduate films and most recently appeared in Paul Grellong’s twisted dark comedy Manuscript. For my mother, my grandmother, my sister, and my sisters you are my heart and strength.

KAIRA KLUEBER is thrilled and delighted to be a part of A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer and V-Day New York City 2010! She graduated with her B.A and B.S in Theatre and Marketing respectively, and a minor in International Business from The Pennsylvania State University. Kaira is thankful and blessed to be able to pursue a professional career in areas of stage, voiceovers, commercials and on-camera work. She received her training from Penn State University's School of Theatre B.A program, Actor’s Theatre of Pittsburgh, and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. Special thanks to her always supportive and always amazing Thomas :-)

JESSANN SMITH SMITH hails from the Seattle area and has been singing, dancing and acting most of her life. Most recently she was seen in the 2009 revival of Christmas Rappings (Theater at Judson) and the KADM Players Apartment 6&9 (Lounge Theater, Los Angeles). JessAnn also teaches voice lessons and is a liturgical singer as well as a frequent musical guest on the web radio show "Frankie Russo's Rock Chicks Live." She is humbled and honored to be a part of VDAY 2010, and asks that you please keep what you hear tonight with you and let it open you to progress, peace and the next fantastic leap! So much love. www.jessann.com

TARA THIERRY - This is Tara's second V-Day production. She is amazed and grateful to participate. Many thanks to Rose and the rest of the cast for being open and focused and especially for honoring the process.

___________________________________

ROSE GINSBERG (Director) is thrilled to be directing her third production for V-Day (The Vagina Monologues, 2007; A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer, 2009). A graduate of Barnard College and lifelong feminist, Rose has been directing plays and musical theater in New York City since 2005. Her work has been seen at Looking Glass Theatre, ArtHouse, Manhattan Repertory Theatre, Dixon Place, Ensemble Studio Theatre, the Flea Theatre, and the Brooklyn Heights public library. She dedicates this show to all of the incredible women in her life who constantly amaze, inspire, and motivate her. Sisters in the Feminist Mafia, this is for you.

DAVID MONROY (Lighting Designer) is the Technical Director at Looking Glass Theatre. is the Technical Director at Looking Glass Theatre. If Gandhi met, fell in love with and married Ralph Nader their offspring would be David Monroy - a talented musician, caring activist, audio engineer and lighting designer.