The Turnaway Play

The Turnaway Play looks at what really happens when women are denied access to abortion. The play is inspired and informed by the groundbreaking Turnaway Study, which followed 1,000 women over ten years and reached the first definitive scientific conclusions about the consequences for women’s lives of either having or being denied abortions. The study was headed by my real-life sister, Diana Greene Foster, and the characters are based on study subjects and members of the research team. The play uses the words and experiences of these real people to bust myths and reduce stigma. It’s got humor and audience participation too!

The world premiere production was held May 8-19, 2024 at the Kitchen Theatre Company in Ithaca, NY. Readings have been held at Brown University, Duke University, HartBeat Ensemble, the Society for Family Planning Annual Meeting, and other places. My hope is that people will host readings of the play to spark discussion and action on how to improve abortion access.

Learn more about the play (and how to produce your own reading) on the official Turnaway Play website.