Keep Your Eyes Open
Winner of the 2008 NY International Fringe Festival Most Outstanding Ensemble Award!
Keep Your Eyes Open takes viewers on an unexpected journey inside the world of the girls of Westbrook Middle School! The tricky and trying realities faced by our daughters, sisters, and friends are humorously examined through the eyes of Winnifred, a precocious 12-year-old (½ Ramona Quimby, ½ Juno MacGuff) armed with a video camera and a laptop. Determined to move the masses, Winnie creates her very own reality web-series called Winnifred’s Words of Wisdom. With help from her classmates, The Westbrook Wildcat Dance Team, the music of Gwen Stefani, Fergie, and Soulja Boy, and inspired by her hope for a better world, Winnifred reveals life beyond Disney Channel and Juicy Couture and captures real stories about real girls!
See full play credits, director’s note, and bios in the original playbill from performances in 2008.
HUGE THANK YOU TO:
Technical Design Team: Jeremi Chanier, Mike Jensen, Gemma Kaneko, Grant McDonald, Chloe Rice, Brandon Scott, Eric Southern, Daniel Zimmerman,
Additional Thank You to: The PossEble Theater Company members, The Celia Rose T. Fitzgerald Arts Outreach Organization, GraceAnn Blake, Hillary Clinton, Jennifer Edson, Lisa Lapin, Trudy Mason, Amy Poehler, Eva Price, Scott Yoselow and the Gersh Agency.
Original Cast Members
Marcela Barry
Maya Blake
Winnifred Bonjean-Alpart
Danielle Cohen
Vikki Eugenis
Gracie Bea Lawrence
Gabby Koones
Zoe Mann
Julia McDermott
Rebecca Newman
Olivia Sulkowicz
Miranda Wilkins
“[Keep Your Eyes Open] is a true expression of creativity that not only entertains, but also fosters an interest in the humanities...I applaud [the members of The Arts Effect] for their hard work, vision, and dedication.”
— Hillary Clinton (Former US Secretary of State)
Two Extra Special Performances:
National Organization for Women’s Road to Equity Convention
Seneca Falls, NY
In November 2008, The Arts Effect All-Girl Theater Company traveled to Seneca Falls and performed Keep Your Eyes Open in the birthplace of the women’s rights movement! As part of NOW’s Road to Equity Convention, the 10 year old cast members participated in discussion panels and met with influential women working tirelessly to bring national attention to the issues addressed in the play.
Comix Comedy Club NYC
On November 8, 2008, The Arts Effect All-Girl Company was honored to join forces with Girls Inc. NYC for a special performance of Keep Your Eyes Open at Comix Comedy Club in NYC.
Together, our goal was to inspire the girls of today to be the great leaders of tomorrow! All proceeds from the performance were donated to Girls Inc.
