Female playwrights are everywhere. Why aren't we finding them?

My section opener in the new issue of Time Out Chicago is about playwright Julia Jordan and her play Boy, which is getting its Chicago premiere at Circle Theatre.

This was a pretty last-minute endeavor—another story we had planned had to be postponed due to scheduling issues. Seeing Jordan's name on our openings list reminded me of a very early post here at Storefront Rebellion about which companies were bringing in non-Chicagoan, female playwrights, and I was inspired. I basically proposed the story on a Friday, we managed to set up interviews with Jordan and with Circle's artistic director Kevin Bellie, and I had the story filed by the following Tuesday. But the closer we looked at the big Chicago theaters' seasons, the more relevant the story became.

Women playwrights are out there in droves, so why are they only a tiny fraction of the new plays and regional premieres being produced? Coincidentally (and serendipitously), Chicago Dramatists is hosting a panel discussion next week (Saturday the 26th at 2pm, and only a $5 donation requested) on the very question of why female playwrights are underrepresented on our stages. Playwright Mia McCullough is moderating, with participants including my critical colleague (and frequent commenter here) Kerry Reid, Goodman literary manager Tanya Palmer, Teatro Luna's Tanya Saracho, Black Ensemble Theater's Jackie Taylor and possibly others. I'll be there. You should be too.

Comments

[Kerry Reid]

Thanks for the plug, Kris. I think Lydia Diamond may be joining us as well -- that's tentative, but I hope she can make it.

[Meg]

So wait, did they only invite women to be on the panel? I agreet that this is a big (and widespread) issue, but won't it just sort of appear that there are a bunch of girls whining about not getting produced?

[Kerry Reid]

Meg, it might be good to check it out before you leap to conclusions. I wasn't part of the planning for this, so I don't know if Dramatists considered asking men to participate or not (though of course there is no reason why they should be required to), but I do know the other panelists, and I can assure you that none of us "girls" are much given to whining.