Out of Silence: Abortion Stories from the 1 in 3 Campaign - NYC Reading Preview

Advocates for Youth will break new ground with Out of Silence: Abortion Stories from the 1 in 3 Campaign. From the halls of Congress to pulpits and court houses around the country, there is so much noise around abortion but it's women's personal stories that have been silenced. In an effort to shatter that silence and de-stigmatize abortion care, Advocates' 1 in 3 Campaign will elevate the voices of hundreds of women with 'Out of Silence'. 

On January 7th at 6:00pm at Primary Stages, Advocates for Youth is welcoming select media for a special preview performance. The plays in Out of Silence are derived from the over 600 stories submitted to the Campaign and represent women from a wide array of situations, ages, and backgrounds. It's the 1 in 3 Campaign's mission: to create a new conversation about abortion and move beyond the political rhetoric and divisive debate to a more personal understanding of the role abortion plays in women's lives. 

With a renowned team including playwright Jacqueline E. Lawton and director Marie Byrd Sproul at the helm of the production; attendees can be sure that Out of Silence will be an enlightening and thought-provoking experience. The plays were written by a diverse set of multi-generational, female playwrights including: Allyson Currin, DW Gregory, Caleen S. Jenning, Nicole Jost, Jacqueline E. Lawton, Kristen LePine, Mary McKeown, Jennifer L. Nelson, Anu Yadav, and Karen Zacarías. The cast includes Zuleyma Guevara, Brandon Jones, Tiffany Rachelle Stewart, Myxolydia Tyler, and Rebecca White. Click here to learn more.

"Plays have a long history of introducing new perspectives and shifting public discourse, while providing audiences with a safe space to grapple with important social issues" says Debra Hauser, President of Advocates for Youth. "We have been honored to receive these stories from women across the country. Each story is unique and brings a fresh perspective to the issue, but what's most remarkable is how the need for safe abortion care is a common thread that runs through all our lives and has done so throughout the generations."

In keeping with the 1 in 3 Campaign's dedication to highlighting and furthering the activism of Millennials to  ensure safe, legal abortion access, the play will be made available, for free via the Campaign's website, for youth activists to stage on their college campuses and in their communities. "We want this play to be a nation-wide phenomenon that starts at the grassroots level, on every campus and community around the country," states Julia Reticker-Flynn, Associate Director of Youth Organizing and Mobilization for Advocates for Youth. "Out of Silence can be the spark that ignites a renewed fire on this issue, bringing an openness to this conversation and empowering people everywhere to stand up for safe, legal and affordable abortion care.

“It’s been an honor working on this project,” says co-producer Jacqueline E. Lawton. “I was deeply touched after reading the stories from the 1 in 3 Campaign, and I feel that Out of Silence creates room for better understanding of the complexities of people’s lives and the need to protect women’s rights.” 

“Bringing this production to the stage has been an insightful experience both personally and professionally,” says director Marie Byrd Sproul. “These stories need to be heard, they need to be brought out for all of us to listen to and respect.”

---

Out of Silence Playwrights

Out of Silence Director and Cast

Marie Byrd Sproul

Tiffany Rachelle Stewart

Zuleyma Guevara

Myxolydia Tyler

Brandon Jones

Rebecca White

About the 1 in 3 Campaign
The 1 in 3 Campaign, a project of Advocates for Youth, is a grassroots movement designed to ignite a new conversation about abortion, through storytelling, to end the stigma around abortion care in America. Its mission: to ensure that abortion remains safe, legal, and affordable. For more information, please visit: www.1in3campaign.org. 

About Advocates for Youth
Advocates for Youth champions programs and policies that recognize young people's rights to sexual health information and services. Advocates believes it can best serve the field by boldly advocating for a more positive and realistic approach to adolescent sexual health. For more information, please visit: www.advocatesforyouth.org.