The Diary of a Teenage Girl

The Diary of a Teenage Girl is a play in one-act by Marielle Heller based on the novel of the same name by Phoebe Gloeckner. The play was first performed at the 3LD Art & Technology Center in New York City in 2010. It was produced by Aaron Louis in association with New Georges & The Essentials and starred writer Marielle Heller in the lead role of Minnie Goetze. The original production was directed by Sarah Cameron Sunde and Rachel Eckerling. The play follows the coming-of-age story of 15 year-old Minnie Goetze living in San Francisco in 1976. Background Marielle Heller adapted The Diary of a Teenage Girl: An Account in Words and Pictures after having read the book, which she found to be a jarring and life-changing experience. She immediately contacted the publisher for the rights. Initially dismissed and written off having never pursued the rights to anything, Heller wouldn't take no for an answer. She persisted for months, and finally got her pitch through to Gloeckner, who was impressed with her vision. With Gloeckner's blessing secure, Heller began to develop the adaptation, first with the mentorship of Berkeley Repertory Theatre's Artistic Director Tony Taccone, and then in collaboration with the directing team of Sarah Cameron Sunde and Rachel Eckerling. Premise Expulsion, a drunken mother, drug abuse, and an affair with her mom's boyfriend: these are the elements that make up fifteen-year-old Minnie's life as she grows up in the chaos of the 70s. But Minnie is incredibly bright and self-reflective, and narrates her story in her diary with brutally honest words and drawings. This acclaimed adaptation of Phoebe Gloeckner's graphic novel sparkles with wit, curiosity, and optimism despite the loneliness and abuse that Minnie encounters. A poignant look into an ugly adolescence.