Two Projects You Need to Know About: We Are Theatre & Spark

There are two projects that you need to know about. One takes place in New York, and is a gathering in protest of women’s voices not being heard or valued in American theatre. The other is scheduled to be held in dozens of cities across the globe and focuses on the challenges for female war veterans returning home.
 
We Are Theatre will take over the Cherry Lane Theatre (38 Commerce Street) in downtown New York on Monday, September 24th at 7:00 pm. The event is a challenge to the discrimination women artists face in theatre. It will feature short plays, monologues and songs by a who’s who of women artists: Theresa Rebeck, Kate Bornstein, Andrea Lepcio, Brooke Berman, Kathleen Warnock, Caridad Svich, Yvette Heyliger, Velina Hasu Houston, Shay Youngblood and Guerrilla Girls On Tour. Tickets are $21 and available at https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/916365.
 
Here’s a little additional information from the event’s indiegogo fundraising page:

Guerrilla Girls On Tour! recently published our annual GIRLCOTT list — a list of theatres across the US that do not include one single play written by a woman in their mainstage seasons. This year the number of theatres has grown to 101 theatres, including New York City’s Pearl Theatre Company, Classic Stage and The Public Theatre. In Minneapolis, the Guthrie Theater, one of the most prestigious regional theatres in America, recently announced its 50th anniversary season would include 12 productions written and directed by white men. (One production is co-directed by a woman). This continued exclusion of women and artists of color from the main stages of American Theatre is unacceptable. Therefore on September 24th Guerrilla Girls On Tour! along with 50/50 in 2020 and the Women’s Initiative members of the Dramatists Guild will present WE ARE THEATRE – a SPEAK OUT about the lack of parity for women theatre artists in America.

 

 
SPARK is a different type of initiative — a national script reading scheme timed for the November elections and Veterans Day. Spark is the third in Obie Award-winning playwright Caridad Svich’s quartet of plays addressing national issues. Currently, dozens of theater companies and universities across the globe are preparing readings of Spark in their local communities.
 
From New York to Western Australia, Spark, which is being made available for producing companies and universities, for a one-time reading, will be heard, often with talkbacks centered around veteran issues. The play deals with a female war veteran returning home to North Carolina. If you would like to join Cummins Theatre in Western Australia, Working Title Playwrights in Atlanta, or the dozens of other theaters and universities,Email NoPassportPress@aol.com for details on becoming involved.