Katie Cappiello
Katherine "Katie" Cappiello is an American playwright, director, feminist, teacher, activist and public speaker best known for her plays Slut and Now That We're Men. Gloria Steinem called Slut "truthful, raw and immediate!"[1] and David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker called it "vital, moving, and absolutely necessary".[2] Cappiello is the creator, writer and executive producer of Grand Army.[3]
Early life and education
Katie Cappiello was born in Brockton, Massachusetts to Mike and Jane Cappiello, both retired public school teachers.[4]
Cappiello attended Brockton High School in Massachusetts, where she graduated in 1999.[5] She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts with concentrations in Political Science.[6][7] She trained at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, where she learned method acting and eventually served as head teacher of the Young Actors Program at the institute.[8][9]
Career
Cappiello launched The PossEble Theater Company in 2005,[10] a theater company whose profits from productions were donated to building theater programming in public elementary schools.[11] In 2007, Cappiello co-founded The Arts Effect NYC, a dramatic arts school, with Meg McInerney.[12][13] Currently, Cappiello runs and teaches at her company, GoodCapp Arts, a theater arts production company and training studio for young artists.[14]
SLUT
SLUT follows the journey of a 16-year-old girl, Joey Del Marco, who is raped by three of her friends. It explores the brutally honest reality and damaging impact of bullying rape culture and slut-shaming.[15]
Cappiello first wrote and directed the play SLUT in 2013.[16] It premiered at the 2013 New York International Fringe Festival, where it received an encore performance.[17] In 2014, SLUT was produced at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, CA;[18] and at the ECCE Arts Gallery in Fargo, North Dakota.[19] In 2015, performances were held at The Tischman Auditorium at New York City's The New School.;[20][21] and at the Wong Auditorium[22] and the Kresge Auditorium at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology[23] Also in 2015, a performance of SLUT was held at the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C.;[24] the talkback following the performances featured guests including editor-in-chief of Glamour Magazine Cynthia Leive, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, House of Cards creator Beau Willimon[25] and Senator Mark Warner.[26][27][28][29] In 2017, the play was produced as a fundraiser for Planned Parenthood, the ACLU and the Southern Poverty Law Center at Teatro LATEA in New York City, along with Cappiello's play Now That We're Men.[30] In 2018, SLUT was produced at WNYC's The Greene Space in New York City.[31] The play was also performed at various schools throughout the United States, such as Choate Rosemary Hall,[32] Phillips Academy Andover.;[33] and the St. Paul's School in New Hampshire[34] The acting edition for SLUT as well as SLUT: A Play and Guidebook for Combating Sexism and Sexual Violence were published by The Feminist Press in 2015.[35][36]
Now That We're Men
Cappiello is also the playwright for the play Now That We're Men.[37] The play was produced at Dixon Place in New York City in 2016.[38][39][40] In April 2018, it was produced at The Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago, Illinois[41][42] and at WNYC's The Greene Space in New York City.[43] The play was produced at schools such as Choate Rosemary Hall,[44] St. Francis College,[45] and Phillips Academy Andover.[46]
Now That We're Men follows five teenage boys in the weeks before prom. It explores consent, pornography, "manning up", and sex in the lives of boys and young men.[47]
In 2013, Cappiello wrote and directed A Day in the Life, a play which explores the lives of teenage girls who have been victimized by commercial sexual trafficking.[48] The play has been produced at various conferences and events at venues such as the 58th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women;[49] The Make Equality Reality Gala in Beverly Hills, California;[50] the Paley Center for Media in New York City;[51] and the 2017 Annual Child Welfare Law Update in Honolulu, HI.[52]
Her Story
Cappiello's play Her Story, Uncut was presented at The United Nations in 2016;[53] the United States Institute of Peace's End Violence Against Girls SUMMIT on FGM/C;[54] and at the Make Equality Reality Gala in 2016 in Los Angeles, California.[55] Her Story, Uncut explores the issue of female genital mutilation.[56] In 2017, Cappiello wrote and directed After 18, which explores the lives of women who were trafficked as children. A performance of the piece in New York featured cast members from the series Orange Is the New Black, including Elizabeth Rodriguez and Lori Tan Chinn as well as Julia Goldani Telles from the series The Affair.[57] In 2017, Cappiello wrote and directed JOY, which was presented at the New York FRIDGE Festival.[58] The play explores purity and the sexual lives of a repressed, isolated Christian community.[59] In 2011, Cappiello wrote and directed Facebook Me, which premiered at Teatro SEA in New York City.[60] It also performed at the DR2 Theatre New York City.[61] It explores social media and its influences on the lives of 13-15-year-old girls.[62] Katie wrote and directed Keep Your Eyes Open in 2008, which premiered at the Cherry Lane Theatre.[63] It won the 2008 Fringe Festival's Outstanding Ensemble Award.[64] The play explores the lives of young schoolgirls.[65] In 2018, Cappiello wrote One Click Away, which premiered at the Brooklyn Historical Society - the piece explores online sex trafficking.[66]
Public speaking
Cappiello has been a guest speaker at events such as the National Museum of Women in the Arts's FRESH TALKS;[67] The Brooklyn Museum's Brooklyn Conference;[68] and Talks at Google.[69]
Workshops
Cappiello created workshops for the StopSlut movement, a "youth-led anti-sexual bullying movement".[70] She co-created and facilitated Project Impact, "a leadership-through-storytelling workshop for youth trafficking survivors".[71] She has been invited to lead workshops at the ChiTeen Lit Fest;[72] the St. Paul's School;[73] and at Choate Rosemary Hall.[74]
Honors
Cappiello was honored by the National Women's Hall of Fame.[75]
She was named one of New York's New Abolitionists, a group of New Yorkers "united by our commitment to ending human trafficking".[76]
References
- Svazlian Tallon, Monique (2014-12-10). "Slut Shaming is Still a Thing: How Women Are Shifting the Conversation Through the Arts". Retrieved 7 February 2018.
- Remnick, David. ""Slut: The Play," an Empowering Story for Young Women". The New Yorker Radio Hour. WNYC Studios. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
- Grand Army (TV Series 2020– ) - IMDb, retrieved 2019-07-26
- Staff Reporter (2015-04-30). "Teen sexual assault awareness focus of "SLUT: The Play"". Enterprise News. Retrieved 2018-03-24.
- Staff Reporter (2015-04-30). "Teen sexual assault awareness focus of "SLUT: The Play"". Enterprise News. Retrieved 2018-03-24.
- Hersh, Lauren; Cappiello, Katie (2014-03-10). "Solving the world's problems through the activism of girls". Women News Network.
- "KATIE CAPPIELLO". Feminist Press. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
- Staff Reporter (2015-04-30). "Teen sexual assault awareness focus of "SLUT: The Play"". Enterprise News. Retrieved 2018-03-24.
- Tallmer, Jerry (7 September 2005). "Tragic death of chid inspires new theater". The Villager. 75 (16). Retrieved 3 March 2018.
- Tallmer, Jerry (7 September 2005). "Tragic death of chid inspires new theater". The Villager. 75 (16). Retrieved 3 March 2018.
- Desk, News. "Posseble Theater Company Presents 'Cinephilia'". Broadway World. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
- Cappiello, Katie; McInerney, Meg (2015). Slut: a Play and Guidebook for Combating Sexism and Sexual Violence (1 ed.). The Feminist Press at CUNY. p. 319. ISBN 9781558618701.
- Lee, Hannah K. "Slut". The New Yorker. The New Yorker. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
- "Katie Cappiello". Katie Cappiello. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
- Remnick, David. ""Slut: The Play," an Empowering Story for Young Women". The New Yorker Radio Hour. WNYC Studios. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
- Ritzel, Rebecca (12 May 2015). "'House of Cards' writer turns attention to violence against women". The Washington Post. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
- Pitt, Brenda. "Teen "SLUT" Speaks Out In New Play (And You're Gonna Wanna Hear It)". Bust. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
- Kawaguchi, Kellyn (25 April 2014). "5 Intriguing Things To Do in L.A. This Week For $15 or Less". LA Weekly. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
- News, WDAY (1 May 2014). "Play standing up against sexism and sexual violence making a stop at NDSU Thursday night". WDAY News. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
- Wills, Cheryl (25 January 2015). "High School Actors Tackle Subject of Sexual Assault in New Play". Retrieved 1 June 2018.
- "SLUT: The Play".
- "SLUT: The Play".
- Levy, Mark. "Five things to do this weekend: May 2–3". Cambridge Day. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
- Lo, Danico (19 May 2015). "Here's a Word That's Used to Shame Women and Justify Rape". Glamour Magazine. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
- Ritzel, Rebecca (12 May 2015). "'House of Cards' writer turns attention to violence against women". The Washington Post. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
- Swartz, Daniel. "'SLUT' Sparks Conversation About Sexual Violence; Play's D.C. Premiere At Warner Theatre Draws VIPs/MOCs". Revamp. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
- Codik, Emily (12 May 2015). "House of Cards Creator Beau Willimon Wants to Put an End to Sexual Assault". Washingtonian. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
- Donovan, Hollywood (26 May 2015). "SLUT". Hollywood On The Potomac. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
- Newswire, Feminist. "SLUT: The Play Performance in DC Was a Call to Action for Consent Education". Feminist Majority Foundation.
- "SLUT & NOW THAT WE'RE MEN – THE IMPACT PERFORMANCES". The Clemente. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- "Exploring Teen Sexuality Onstage". WNYC. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
- Chang, Nathan. "Daring Plays Bring Sexual Assault out of the Shadows". The Choate News.
- Cheng, Andi (5 January 2016). ""SLUT: The Play" Confronts Topics Of Sexual Assault, Slut-Shaming and Rape Culture" (PDF). Retrieved 13 March 2018.
- Smith, Landon. "Two Provocative Plays Explore Power Dynamics of Rape Culture and Racism". St. Paul's School.
- Korn, Gabrielle. "an exclusive excerpt from "slut"". Nylon.
- Cappiello, Katie; McInerney, Meg (2015). Slut: a Play and Guidebook for Combating Sexism and Sexual Violence (1 ed.). The Feminist Press at CUNY. ISBN 9781558618701.
- "Exploring Teen Sexuality Onstage". WNYC. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
- "New Play NOW THAT WE'RE MEN Headed to Dixon Place". Broadway World. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
- "NOW THAT WE'RE MEN to Play Two Performances at Dixon Place". Broadway World. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
- "Slut: The Play and Now That We're Men Extend". Theater Mania. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
- Acrossley. "A New Coming of Age Play Explores the Lives of Teenage Boys in a #MeToo World". WGN9.
- "Now That We're Men". Steppenwolf.
- "Exploring Teen Sexuality Onstage". WNYC. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
- Kizza-Besigye, Anselm. "Plays Open Dialogue on Sexual Assault". The Choate News. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
- Xia, Ran. "Now That We're Men". Theatre Is Easy. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
- "SLUT: The Play and Now That We're Men Come to Campus" (PDF). The Andover Gazette. 8 December 2017. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
- Cappiello, Katie (13 September 2016). Now That We're Men: the play. The Feminist Press. ISBN 978-1558614123.
- Cappiello, Katie; Hersh, Lauren (22 May 2014). "Teenage abolitionists take to the stage". Retrieved 20 March 2018.
- Anderson, Lisa. "Girls for sale: "A Day in the Life"". Thomson Reuters Foundation News.
- "Day In The Life - Make Equality Reality 2014". Youtube.com.
- "New York's New Abolitionists". Lifeway Network.
- "2017 Annual Child Welfare Law Update" (PDF).
- "'Education not mutilation' Ban Ki-moon tells UN FGM conference". The Guardian.
- "End Violence Against Girls Summit on FGM/C" (PDF). Human Dignity Foundation.
- "Her Story, Uncut: Deka's Story". Youtube.com.
- "End Violence Against Girls Summit on FGM/C" (PDF). Human Dignity Foundation.
- "Staged Reading of After 18". Coalition Against Trafficking in Women.
- "Q&A: Katie Cappiello and Jordan G. Teicher on Taking Part in the Inaugural NY FRIDGE Fest". Stage Buddy. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
- "Fridge Fest Blocks D and E D: Scarcity Freezer and no seconds E: JOY and What's in Your Fridge?". Theatre Is Easy. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
- "It's 10 p.m.: Do You Know Where Your Daughter Is? Facebook Me Does". The Lo-Down. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
- Gioia, Michael. "Arts Effect's facebook me, Revealing the Secret Lives of Teens Online, Begins Nov. 5 at DR2 Theatre". Playbill. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
- Gioia, Michael. "Arts Effect's facebook me, Revealing the Secret Lives of Teens Online, Begins Nov. 5 at DR2 Theatre". Playbill. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
- "The New York International Fringe Festival" (PDF). FringeNYC.
- "Awards 2008". Fringe NYC Archives.
- "Keep Your Eyes Open!". Vimeo.
- "One Click Away: A Performance and Moderated Discussion". National Organization for Women NYC.
- "FRESH TALK: How can the arts advance body politics? | Conversation". Youtube.
- "The Brooklyn Conference: Inspiring Social Change". Brooklyn Museum.
- "SLUT, The Play: Experiencing sexual assault and slut shaming | Talks at Google". Youtube.
- Ross, Julianne. "What the Conversation Around "Yes Means Yes" Is Missing". Mic.
- Cappiello, Katie; Hersh, Lauren. "Teenage abolitionists take to the stage". CNN.
- "Schedule". ChiTeenLitFest.
- Smith, Landon. "Two Provocative Plays Explore Power Dynamics of Rape Culture and Racism". St. Paul's School.
- Connelly, Lorraine (2016). "Developing Minds". Bulletin. Wallingford, CT. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
- "Book of Lives & Legacies: Katie Cappiello". Women of the Hall. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
- "The New Abolitionists: Who Are They". New York's New Abolitioninsts.
- Cappiello, Katie (13 September 2016). Now That We're Men: the play. The Feminist Press. ISBN 978-1558614123.