Advocacy - Women Count

Frequently Asked Questions About the Women Count Call

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1. Why have you established a goal of 50% women playwrights and 50% women directors?

         Since women are half of the population, they should have access to half the jobs in all the professions, including theatre. Activists in other fields have been working towards this goal for decades, and women in theatre are lagging behind women in law, business, medicine, and academe. Although we realize it will take time to achieve full equality, it is the only long-term goal that makes sense.

           Also, if we are to understand the world around us, we need the arts to reflect all of human experience, including women's stories. As a society we urgently need to find ways to overcome barriers based on gender, race, class, and other factors, and artists can play a powerful role in that process. It is therefore more important than ever to ensure that all of our cultural institutions accurately reflect our diverse society.

2.  Is there an audience for plays by women?

          When given the opportunity to see women's work, audiences respond enthusiastically. In the past three years Yasmina Reza's Art, Margaret Edson's Wit , and Paula Vogel's How I Learned to Drive have been among the most successful plays produced in U.S. regional theatres, and Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues is a phenomenal success worldwide. Since over 50% of those attending the theatre are women, there is a built-in audience for plays that reflect women's lives and perspectives.

3.  Do women in theatre face more obstacles than men?
        In difficult economic times, it is harder for any new playwright to get produced. But gender bias can make matters worse: As the NYSCA Report reminds us, stories about women may be seen as specific to women, rather than "universal."  And, despite the great variety of plays written by women, people have assumptions about the quality, content, and form of these works.

        This bias is often unconscious rather than articulated, but the result is the same - women experience discrimination.

       There are preeminent organizations that are models for another approach: New Dramatists, where this initiative was launched, has a membership that is 50% women, selected through a competitive process.  We are asking theatres to use excellence rather than gender bias when choosing plays. We are not calling for the establishment of quotas. Rather, we are asking for the elimination of gender bias so that the full spectrum of excellence can be enjoyed .

4. What can I do to help besides signing The Call for Equal Representation?

• Contribute to Women Count by Check or Online -  You can help underwrite the publicity and staffing expenses of this effort by making a contribution designated for the Women Count Call through The Fund for Women Artists.  Contribute>>  

• Spread the Word -  Since we want to gather widespread support for the Women Count Call for Equal Representation , please tell your friends and colleagues about the call and encourage them to sign. Many who work outside the theatre have no idea that such under-representation exists and we need their support.
   
• Support Theatres that Support Women Artists -  It is extremely important to encourage the theatre companies that are producing plays with women playwrights and directors. When you see those plays advertised, make it a point to buy tickets, write supportive letters to the theatre managers, and make financial contributions as generously as you can.

Women Count Steering Committee

Sarah Browning & Thea Douglas (co-chairs), Mia Chung, Honour Kane, Maxine Kern, Todd London, Martha Richards & Dominic Taylor

Additional Women Count Founding Members

Marcy Arlin, Jessica Bauman, Christie Brown, Mallory Catlett, Cindy Cooper, Miriam Eusebio, Olga Humphrey, Zoya Kachadurian, Donna Kaz, Tricia McDermott, Mindy Pfeffer, & Robin Rothstein