New play tackles bullying and misogyny in a high school setting
Girls Like That revolves around a viral naked photo and the slut shaming that follows
Raquel Francis understands what it's like to experience low self esteem as a high school girl. That's why she is excited to be part of a new production that shines a light on slut shaming and bullying.
Francis is one member of the all female cast of Girls Like That which premieres Thursday at Templeton Secondary School in Vancouver.
"My character is essentially one of the more mean girls in the play," said Francis.
"In my own personal life, I have had times where things have happened, and you may think: 'Oh it's the end of the world. Oh I can never get past this,' but you can always overcome."
The play, which is put on by Vancouver's Shameless Hussy Productions, is about a young girl named Scarlett, who faces bullying after a naked photograph of her is circulated around her school.
"I think it's very relatable, and, hopefully, what we can do is, by entertaining, we can then ask questions and people leave with questions," said director Renée laci.
The production is meant to show the harsh reality of being a teenage girl.
"The pressure of being perfect in today's society and especially in high school is a very big factor in all of this. To be perfect, you can't let anybody see any bad sides of you and having your nudes leaked is one of the bad sides," said Francis.
But the play is meant to have a positive message.
"This show is talking about how the girls attack each other, and I think the underlying message is us girls have to stick together. We have to have each other's backs," said laci.
"Scarlett goes through years and years of this tormenting, and, in the end, she still comes out confident and sure in herself, so people can see and hopefully apply that in their own lives," said Francis
"I can't really see this happening in our school, but I do know of other places where things like this have happened."
The original play was written by British playwright Evan Placey in 2013.
With files from CBC Radio One's The Eary Edition and Margaret Gallagher.