09.16.2016
Media

1 in 3 Campaign Announces Celebrity Reading of Groundbreaking Abortion Play in the Face of Political Attacks on Access

Play Features Hamilton and Law & Order Actors

1 in 3 Campaign Play Uses Personal Stories to End Stigma and Shame Surrounding Abortion; Play Builds on Momentum of 1 in 3’s First-of-its-Kind Abortion Play to Share New Stories of Recipients and Providers of Abortion Care

Washington, DC—Following the successful national tour of the docu-play, “Remarkably Normal by Jessi Blue Gormezano, Abortion Stories from the 1 in 3 Campaign,” the 1 in 3 Campaign is bringing the play to New York City on September 26 for a one-night-only celebrity benefit reading. In the face of political attacks on access to safe, affordable abortion care, this play moves past the noise of the current political climate and features first-hand accounts from the people who receive and provide abortion care, even as access to abortion care comes under increasing threat.

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“Remarkably Normal by Jessi Blue Gormezano, Abortion Stories from the 1 in 3 Campaign” is a clever, thoughtful and creative way to bring the reality of people’s abortion experiences into the heightened and tense conversation around abortion. This reading will be performed by celebrities including Kathryn Erbe, Kellie Overbey, Sharron Paul and Jon Rua of the original Hamilton cast.

“Abortion care is remarkably normal despite what you might hear from the toxic political debate or see in pop culture; it has been and always will be a part of people’s lives,” said Deb Hauser, president of Advocates for Youth, the organization that runs the 1 in 3 Campaign “As we work to recapture this discussion from the political and bring it back to the personal, depicting and making space for personal narratives will be vital. What we need is a cultural change – a shift in how people think about and view abortion in everyday life. Pop culture has a crucial role to play in sharing abortion stories and we are thrilled that so many celebrities can join us to raise awareness of just how remarkably normal abortion really is.”

“Remarkably Normal by Jessi Blue Gormezano, Abortion Stories from the 1 in 3 Campaign” is based on real interviews and stories submitted to the 1 in 3 Campaign. By using first-person intimate accounts, the complex issues around abortion are brought to life by the nuanced narratives of a long-time abortion care provider, a young anti-abortion protestor who finds herself with an unintended pregnancy, a compassionate member of the clergy, a mother of four children, a victim of sexual assault, and many others. This performance is directed by Jessi D. Hill and sales from the celebrity performance will benefit the National Network of Abortion Funds.

The 1 in 3 Campaign’s previous play “Out of Silence” debuted in New York and Washington D.C. in 2015 to rave reviews and continues to be performed on college campuses around the country. “Remarkably Normal” is soulful, funny, at times challenging and geared to cause even more ripples in the conversation around abortion access.

The 1 in 3 Campaign would like to thank the Abingdon Theater Company for graciously hosting the reading, which will take place at 7pm on September 26 at the June Havoc Theatre. Several of the actors involved are available for interviews upon request.

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased here. Comped tickets are available for members of the press. For more information, to connect for interviews or to RSVP, please contact Margy Levinson at margy.levinson@berlinrosen.com or 646-335-0441.

 

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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