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The Most Talked About Article in New York Theatre…and more

worksbywomen — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:00:33 +0000

Everywhere I turn this week, one article is making the rounds. Facebook. Check. Twitter. Check. In lively conversations at intermission. Check. Patrick Healy’s profile of 15 women directors leaving their mark on New York stage is the hot as Hades article. Staging a Sisterhood is on everyone’s lips.

For one reason or another. Insiders are happy to see these 15 extraordinary directors (in alphabetical order) — May Adrales, Jo Bonney, Carolyn Cantor, Rachel Chavkin, Jackson Gay, Anne Kauffman, Tina Landau, Pam MacKinnon, Patricia McGregor, Giovanna Sardelli, Anna D. Shapiro, Leigh Silverman, Rebecca Taichman, Daniella Topol, and Gaye Taylor Upchurch — front and center. And, of course, others mention that there are dozens more who could be profiled. Still it’s acknowledged as much work as they are getting, Broadway isn’t the most hospitable place for female directors (or playwrights for that matter).

And spend some time getting to know these terrific directors. Their individual profiles by Eric Grode — Meet the Directors – is worth a read.

In other news…

NBC News did a recent profile on the hardships actresses in Afghanistan face. To watch the profile, go here.

Michael Roderick, who is a terrific producer and blogger, wrote a fascinating article about frustration. It’s a good reminder to treat people who frustrate us the same way we treat ourselves for the same behavior.

Call for Gun Control Plays

worksbywomen — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 15:00:27 +0000

Here is a call from the amazing Caridad Svich’s NoPassport for pieces about gun control. The deadline is Tuesday, January 15th. Works by Women has profiled Ms. Svich two years ago as well as some of her other recent national projects: The Way of Water and Spark.

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Dear colleagues,

NoPassport invites dramatists, storytellers and poets to send work in the 3-7 minute range and take part in a Theatre Action for weekend of January 26-28, 2013 (to coincide with the March on Washington for Gun Control). The pieces must be sent by January 15, 2013 to nopassport2013forguncontrol@gmail.com and able to be read/performed script in hand, no frills.

In DC: Theater J in Washington, D.C. has offered to collaborate with NoPassport and host an after-show event at 5 PM on January 26, 2013 after their performance of BOGED (Traitor): An Enemy of the People at Georgetown University’s Gonda Theatre where writers, actors and storytellers can read from their work.

On the national level: NoPassport invites practitioners and theatre venues (professional, academic or otherwise) to join us in this theatre action. Please let us know if you wish to take part and collaborate with us in some way.

On the global level: NoPassport recognizes all too well that gun control is not merely a US issue, but affects all of us. If your local company wishes to join us in this action, do let us know.

Basic information about this theatre action for January 2013 is live on www.nopassport.org.

Please feel free to forward this call to your colleagues.

Caridad Svich

Checking Out The Under the Radar Festival in New York City

worksbywomen — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 15:00:05 +0000

January in New York can be breathtakingly cold with freezing temperatures and nor’easters. But, theater heats up the city with a slew of festivals and great new works hitting the Big Apple’s boards. In other words, there are plenty of reasons to stay indoors in the New Year. Under the Radar Festival, under the artistic direction of Mark Russell, offers an eclectic mix of theater from the world over. And, the festival is reasonably priced — $20 for most shows, and five tickets for $75.

C’est du Chinois at the Under the Radar Festival

Belarus Free Theatre returns to the festival with Minsk 2011: A Reply to Kathy Acker after scoring with its hits Being Harold Pinter and Zone of Silence in New York. Nature Theatre of Oklahoma presents its marathon (yes over 10 hours in one day) Life and Times: Episode 1 – 4 .

Some of the work by women theatre artists at this year’s festival, running January 9 – 20, 2013 at the Public Theater includes Hollow Roots, a solo play in the style of Spalding Gray and Wallace Shawn by Christina Anderson, whom Works by Women will interview later this week. Anderson investigates what a post racial society would look like with startling results. Australian Director/Creator Fleur Elise Noble‘s 2 Dimensional Life of Her is a visual piece, an installation, that is family friendly and takes place in an artist’s studio.

Or you can see Netherlands-based Hungarian director Edit Kaldor‘s C’est du Chinois (French loose translation: “It’s all Greek to me”) about the boundaries of language and performance. The piece’s performers actually teach the audience some basic Mandarin as an exploration of public assembly and true exchange between artist and audience.

Happy New Year

worksbywomen — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 16:25:29 +0000

Wishing you a very wonderful 2013. Works by Women is thrilled for the year ahead in theater. Plus, we will launch a redesigned web site by mid-January. Looking forward to bringing you more interviews, information and essays about theatrical works written, directed and designed by women.

More soon.

Women Playwrights Are Recognized and More

worksbywomen — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 17:30:34 +0000

The week has been full of great news for women theatermakers. Here are a few choice tidbits:

1) MENTORING NEWS. Cherry Lane Theatre announced the four playwrights in the 2013 Mentor Project, which pairs an established playwright with an emerging one as the latter develops a new work under the watchful eye of the former. All four members of the 15th Anniversary Mentor Project are women. Lisa Ramirez, Elizabeth A. Davis, Nastaran Ahmadi and Natalia Naman will be mentored by Cynthia Hopkins, Enda Walsh, Kia Corthron and Eduardo Machado, respectively. Learn more about the project at Cherry Lane Theatre’s web site.

2) ALL ABOUT THE MONEY. Ask most producers in the Big Apple, and almost every one of them will tell you that you cannot make money Off Broadway. The announcement that Tribes, Nina Raine’s lauded play had recouped its investment was welcome news to those with Off Broadway aspirations and to female playwrights. And, you can still see through production through early January. For tickets, visit Barrow Street Theatre’s web site.

3) AWARD ANNOUNCED. Amy Herzog will receive the New York Times Outstanding Playwright Award for her play After the Revolution. Read the announcement on Playbill.com.

4) CRITIC’S PICKS. Scott Brown, New York Magazine’s critic, released his list of the top 10 Theater Picks for this year. The list is a mix of revivals, musicals and new work. Nina Raine’s Tribes (see point number 2 above) clocked in at #2 on the list. Also recognized Jackie Sibblies Drury’s We Are Proud to Present and Annie Baker’s Uncle Vanya, both at SoHo Rep this year, as well as Lisa D’Amour’s Detroit (as well as its two actresses Amy Ryan and Sarah Sokolovic). And, you may recall that Works by Women interviewed Jackie Sibblies Drury and Sarah Sokolovic earlier this year.

5) REASONS TO GO TO DENVER. Denver Center Theatre Company has commissioned five plays for readings this season. Three of them are written by women playwrights: Catherine Trieschmann, Laura Eason, and Karen Zacarias. Learn more about the company’s upcoming season in this Playbill.com article.

Works by Women San Francisco Is Live

worksbywomen — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 14:30:30 +0000

Three years ago when Works by Women was founded by directorLudovica Villar-Hauser, the goal was to support women’s work in theatre across the country and globe. Ludovica envisioned the New York Works by Women group as the first in a growing network of groups. And, today, that dream has started to be realized. We’re thrilled to announce that Works by Women San Francisco has launched a gorgeous blog and its own MeetUp.com group.

Works by Women was founded at the start of the 50/50 in 2020 movement, a grassroots organization dedicated to parity in theatre by the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage, as a concrete way to support theatrical work written, directed and designed by women in New York City. Putting dollars behind these productions would hopefully encourage artistic directors and producers to produce or present more work by women in the future. Since the fall of 2009, Works by Women has attended 91 productions in the Big Apple.

Here’s the note that Christine Guillan Young, founder of Works by Women San Francisco, wrote to us to announce that WbWSF had launched:

I wanted to let you know that the Works by Women San Francisco blog is now live! San Francisco/Bay Area Theater women are standing (and making theater!) in solidarity with our NYC sisters. Check it out and please forward the link liberally to your networks. We are excited to be joining the movement. Thank you all for your support and encouragement!

Let’s spread the word about this new addition to the Works by Women network. And, let us know if you’re interested in launching a group in your city! E-mail us at worksbywomennyc@gmail.com

News from Around the Web

worksbywomen — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 14:47:52 +0000

Playwrights Horizons needs your help. If the company receives 10,000 likes on Facebook by June 30th, this Saturday, it will receive a $10,000 donation. This is a free and easy way to help a theatre company whose 2012-2013 season features a lot of women theatre artists — four out of the six playwrights and half (3) of the directors. Its season includes: DETROIT, written by Lisa D’Amour and directed by Anne Kauffman;
THE WHALE written by Samuel D. Hunter and directed by David McCallum;
THE GREAT GOD PAN written by Amy Herzog and directed by Carolyn Cantor;
THE FLICK written by Annie Baker and directed by Sam Gold;
THE CALL written by Tanya Barfield and directed by Leigh Silverman;
FAR FROM HEAVEN with book by Richard Greenberg, music by Scott Frankel, lyrics by Michael Corie and directed by Michael Greif.

Go to Playwrights Horizons’ Facebook page and click the Like button. The company is very close to 10,000 Likes so your Like will make a huge difference. And if you want to vote with your dollars and let Playwrights Horizons know you value its support of women artists, buy a season ticket here.

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Yesterday, we learned of the sad passing of Nora Ephron, the Academy Award-nominated screenwriter of Silkwood, When Harry Met Sally and Sleepless in Seattle. The Los Angeles Times posted a sweet article about her late foray into playwriting. She created the Drama Desk winner Love, Loss and What I Wore with her sister Delia Ephron.

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Polly Carl’s terrific essay about making new theater is a must read. Check it out at Howlround.