By Alexis Greene The twentieth century in America was the women’s century. The century opened with the ascendance of what the media at that time called the New Woman. The New Woman didn’t yet have the right to vote, but she was out there: getting jobs, so she could support herself; organizing unions; establishing settlement … Continue reading
American audiences don’t get access to many contemporary plays originally written in another language despite the burgeoning number of talented playwrights in the US and around the world who are creating work for the stage in languages other than English. Traditionally, classic European plays such as those written by Moliere, Henrik Ibsen and Anton Chekhov … Continue reading
by Alexis Greene Hrotsvitha and Alice Childress; Rachilde and Zora Neale Hurston; Ana Caro and Mrs. Harlow Phibbs. They lived centuries and continents apart, but they shared two enticing characteristics: they were women and they were playwrights. And now they are among the 250 dramatists who constitute “ON HER SHOULDERS: Celebrating 1,000 Years of … Continue reading
When the news hit in the spring that theatres in New York were going to be shut down, I–like many of my fellow theatre-makers–was devastated. Our movement company, 10C, had been developing our third science-based piece throughout the fall and winter of 2019 and the quarantine felt like we drove 50 mph into a wall. … Continue reading
ARTISTS and THOSE WHO WANT TO SUPPORT ARTISTS: If you are struggling to make ends meet in these unsettled times, here are some useful resources. If you have means, here are some ideas about where your dollars will directly help your community. https://actorsfund.org/am-i-eligible-help https://dgf.org/donate/donate/ https://www.theatreartlife.com/management/coronavirus-gig-cancellations/ Add additional resources in the comment section. Stay safe. Spring … Continue reading
Lue Morgan Douthit, longtime director of literary development at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF), commissioned a translation of Shakespeare’s Timon of Athens into contemporary modern English in the fall of 2015, beginning OSF’s Play On! project. With the Bard still continuously the most-produced playwright in America, one purpose of the project was to ask why … Continue reading
Photo Essay “From the time I was about twelve, I never stopped acting. Acting is my business.” “If you’re going to play a character other than yourself, it’s better that you bring that character to the first rehearsal…You have to leave yourself at home… When I’m immersed in a scene, I leave Angela at home.” … Continue reading
This article is part of an ongoing partnership between HowlRound Theatre Commons and WIT Journal online. Michaela Goldhaber, current artistic director of Wry Crips, talks to the founding and early members of the disabled women’s theatre group about their history. For thirty-four years, Wry Crips Disabled Women’s Theatre Group in Berkeley, California, has been helping women … Continue reading
Few thrills are comparable to watching the November wave of highly qualified women winning seats in federal and state governments. A Navy pilot, a woman who began her studies in a community college on the reservation, young mothers, and a former CIA officer – these candidates came in all shapes and sizes. Is it … Continue reading
The first known appearance of the story of Robin Hood with most of its familiar elements (stealing from the rich and giving to the poor; Sherwood Forest; evil sheriff; band of Merry Men) can be found in a mid-fifteenth-century English ballad. The origins of the myth itself date back to the 1300s. The tale transcends … Continue reading
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