By Alan Jozwiak
One of the worst things that can happen to you is being attacked.
Worse still is not remembering the attack because of too much alcohol.
Worse still is knowing the person who assaulted you took photos and posted them online for everyone to see.
And worst of all is being blamed for it.
You are the one on trial for your own attack. You are labeled. Judged. You are reduced to a word –slut– and you cannot defend yourself.
That scenario forms the backbone of Slut Shaming, Xavier University Theatre’s production returning to the stage this weekend.
This is the third remounting of this show at Xavier University. It had its first successful run at the Cincinnati Fringe Festival in 2014 where it won the Artist’s Pick award for its masterful way of handling the delicate topic of slut shaming. While over a decade has passed since the show was created, the issues it addresses remain current.
Written by Trey Tatum and directed by Bridget Leak, the Artistic Director for Know Theatre of Cincinnati, it takes the traumatic scenario and gives it a sci-fi twist.
The Plot and Staging
Lauren Lucas (the role alternates simultaneously between Nicole Grace, Anna Meister, and Anna Hittepole), the victim, becomes a time traveler who constantly relives the events of her life before the attack and the public shaming which follows.
This sci-fi trope mirrors PTSD, where victims can suddenly find themselves reliving an event that happened years in the past. Time travel both distances Lauren from the horror of her situation yet also allows the audience to witness the pain of difficult memories.
Bridget Leak keeps to the Fringe spirit of the original production by doing something radical with the staging. She creates her own black box on the stage of the Gallagher Student Center Theater. This allows Leak to take advantage of the advanced lighting of Xavier’s main stage while also creating the intimacy needed for the production.
Leak uses a bare stage containing only two lockers. These lockers both act as Lauren’s locker and a repository for various scenic devices that flesh out the world of the play, as well as percussion instruments.
While the subject matter is dark, Grace, Meister, and Hittepole who play different versions of Lauren are all able to find moments of humanity within this story. This becomes especially evident at the end of the play, where events lead to their inevitable slut shaming climax.
Besides alternating between different versions of Lauren, each of these actors also plays a variety of other roles like parents, siblings, friends, and fellow classmates. This is a lot of role changing for these actors to do within this short play. All three actors are able to keep pace and distinguish between the different roles.
I also like that these student actors lean into their strengths as actors as they adopt all these different roles.
Lighting Elevates the Production
A key part of this production is the use of lighting. Light Designer Joe Beumer does a fine job with the detailed use of light and shadow coming both from above the stage and within the lockers themselves at various points of the show. This added layer of technical sophistication complements the action and develops a richness to the production that is not possible in a Fringe production.
Unfortunately, a snafu with the lighting led to a 30-minute delay when I saw the play. Like a diligent reviewer, I used my time talking with the playwright about the background of production. Since I usually never get a chance to talk with Trey, it was time well spent.
This show only runs 55-minutes long. There is typically a talkback session where the audience can debrief and explore ideas brought up within the play. Xavier’s Confidential Advocates were present to help audience members triggered by anything in the production—a reminder of just how real and immediate these issues remain.
Conclusion
Despite those hiccups, Slut Shaming is a powerful piece of theatre which challenges the reflex to blame the victim, versus the perpetrator. It embraces theatre’s capacity to shape social conversation, urging audiences to question the narratives we too easily accept.
I hope Xavier continues to remount it–at least until we get to the point where time travelers reliving their trauma and shame become truly a thing of the past.
Get Tickets to Slut Shaming Play
Slut Shaming runs February 19-22, 2026. Click here for tickets.
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LCT reviews are edited by Liz Eichler, Stage Insights Chair and Member of American Theatre Critics Association
