Westminster Congregational United Church is hosting Girl, Awake! on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. Girl, Awake! is “a play for everyone about social justice,” presenting difficult topics such as child labor, poverty and violence in a way that is accessible to young girls and of interest to everyone. Tickets are available by donation at the door, benefiting the Malala Fund.
The cast is made up of a six girl ensemble and the play is written and directed by Brook Basset. It is produced by the Luminary Initiative Project, which Basset founded with the mission “to make issues more illuminated and the world a bit brighter” through engaging communities with outreach projects.
The Girl, Awake! website describes the play as, “6 charismatic girls rise up with fists & flowers to educate the public about social injustice and finding a sense of self in this chaotic modern era.” The production makes use of a variety of theatrical forms, from spoken word poetry and dancing to video projections and even cheer-leading. The promo video lists some of the topics the play will cover: “Girl, Awake! sheds light on child labor, poverty, the importance of education. Girl, Awake! declares it is wrong for any child, girl or boy, to be forced into marriage, into war, or forced to flee their country.” More videos on these topics, including a Girl, Awake! performance on homelessness, are available on their YouTube channel. The play’s description promises that topics are backed by statistics and demographics.
