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A Trump Accuser Is Bringing Women's Claims Of The President's Misconduct To The Stage
Remember all those women who accused President Donald Trump of sexual assault? Although they're no longer dominating the news cycle, they aren't going away — and many of their stories are about to be told in a new format. Debuting in New York City on Jan. 14, "The Pussy Grabber Plays" depict Natasha Stoynoff and other Trump accusers as they grapple with experiences relating to their allegations (all of which Trump has denied).
The production is a collection of short plays. Stoynoff, who alleges that Trump assaulted her in 2005 while she was interviewing him for PEOPLE magazine, wrote the play about her personal experience. The other pieces were created by independent playwrights who used interviews with other Trump accusers to guide them.
While 22 women have accused Trump of sexual misconduct, "The Pussy Grabber Plays" focus on just seven of them, as well as "all of the women who have not come forward," the production's website states. The description adds: "Each play focuses on different aspects of the women's stories and their experiences — from telling their families what happened to them, to deciding to come forward, to their questioning and confrontation of victimhood, sexism and power."
All proceeds will be donated to the New York Women's Foundation’s Fund for the MeToo Movement and Allies.
Stoynoff first spoke out about her alleged attack in October of 2016, shortly after the Access Hollywood tape surfaced. In an article for PEOPLE, she alleged that Trump forced himself on her while giving her a tour of Mar-a-Lago.
"Trump shut the door behind us," Stoynoff wrote. "I turned around, and within seconds he was pushing me against the wall and forcing his tongue down my throat... Trump is much bigger — a looming figure — and he was fast, taking me by surprise and throwing me off balance. I was stunned. And I was grateful when Trump's longtime butler burst into the room a minute later, as I tried to unpin myself."
Stoynoff wrote that fear and anxiety followed her after the incident. As a reporter at PEOPLE, she regularly covered Trump, so she switched to a different beat. "His actions made me feel bad for a very long time," she wrote. "They still do." When the magazine asked Trump for a comment on Stoynoff's story in 2016, a spokesperson denied the allegation.
Stoynoff told Page Six that working on "The Pussy Grabber Plays" has been "liberating and cathartic" for her. "I'm an overly nice, overly polite Canadian girl," she said, "and there's enough rage-infused, foul-mouthed cursing [in the production] that maybe my native land will revoke my citizenship! But for the New Yorker in me, it's just right."
The play will premiere at Joe's Pub in New York City next week, and tickets are on sale now. It's one night only, but the script will be offered for free to anyone who wants to perform it afterwards since the producers want it to be shared.
"It is our hope that theaters, community groups and universities around the country use this opportunity to create their own productions of the play," the website notes, "spreading awareness, sparking conversation, and ultimately change."