“I’m going to tell you a secret - and I don’t want you to tell. The secret is about me – about my life – how it will never be the same again.”

The character Abby speaks these words in an honest, unflinching and timely look at the destructive world of teen girl bullying. This dynamic play by Dallas Children’s Theater’s award-winning resident playwright, Linda Daugherty, is sweeping the country and has even been produced as far as Canada, Germany and Dubai! DCT presents “The Secret Life Of Girls,” Feb. 10 – 26 at DCT’s Rosewood Center for Family Arts.

Fort Worth City Councilman Joel Burns will be a part of the talkback on opening night, Fri., Feb. 10, and will share with the audience his own struggle with bullying as a teenager. “While we have made great strides, it’s important to continue the dialogue about bullying because this is a problem that is not going away. This is a great opportunity for teens and parents to experience the show and then be a part of a meaningful conversation together,” Councilman Burns said.

“The Secret Life Of Girls” exploded at DCT as a staged reading in April 2006 followed by a full production in 2007. It received tremendously enthusiastic feedback and was extended due to popular demand. In 2011, students from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts presented a staged reading of the play during DCT’s Teen Scene Festival, and due to the relevancy of the subject, DCT decided it was time to bring back a fully staged production. “The play highlights the use of cyberbullying which changes almost daily due to advances in technology and the Internet. I’ve taken out the e-mailing and replaced it with social media sites,” Daugherty said. She continued, “Almost daily now we see stories in the media about bullying and its devastating consequences. Even our President has made a plea to communities to stand up against it, and we continue to do so.”

In “The Secret Life Of Girls,” bullying in the form of gossiping, keeping secrets, using friendship as a weapon, name-calling, exclusion, spreading rumors, back-biting, clinging to cliques and manipulation become a prelude to dangerous behaviors such as depression, cutting, eating disorders and premature sexuality.

The play is an exploration of the intense period of early adolescence when girls jockey for position amongst themselves. Nancy Schaeffer, DCT’s Education Director and director of the play, said, “This play is about a specific group of girls, but in revealing this specific situation it speaks to the universal consequences that bullying anywhere can create. This gives us an opportunity to open up a conversation.”

“The Secret Life Of Girls” is a dramatic family event with an insightful dialogue following every performance facilitated by health professionals such as Dr. Susan Sugerman of Girls to Women Health and Wellness, and representatives from The Family Place’s Be Project.

Due to the importance of capturing the authentic spirit and speech patterns of teenagers, an ensemble of young actresses make up the cast, alongside professional talents Lisa Fairchild and Lisa Schreiner portraying the adults in the play.

Don’t miss “The Secret Life Of Girls” and see why young people so desperately need to reinforce the best in themselves and others. Enjoyed by teens and adults – not suitable for young children due to mature subject matter and language.

Call the DCT Box Office at 214-740-0051 for more information and tickets.