After Ashley

When a family tragedy deals the Hammond family a dose of dubious celebrity, young Justin finds himself paralyzed and pissed off. In After Ashley, Gina Gionfriddo takes fearless jabs at the media for its exploitation of victims, and at the supposed ‘friends’ and ‘family’ of said victims who will go to any length to cash in on a tragedy. On the surface, this play appears to be another dysfunctional family comedy, until it takes a jagged turn, spotlighting society’s ridiculous tendency to ‘grieve’ through exploitation.