msmagazine.com: According to a recent study, only 22 percent of plays produced in the United States are written by women. That means, if life worked like theatre, 4 out 5 things you ever heard would be said by men. But a Los Angeles-based gang of badass women playwrights and theatre makers are attempting to rewrite this narrative.
2 comments:
I very recently learned about the Kilroys in Foundations of Drama as I am currently working on The Clean House by Sarah Ruhl for my group project, and I am rather shocked I never knew of it before. I couldn't agree more with the statement that the obvious lack of plays written by female playwrights being produced is not the result of direct discrimination or prejudice. It is an underlying, subconscious prejudice, combined with a lack of pre-existing patterns, which causes this missed opportunity. Clearly, The List exists so that no one will ever be able to say, "Well, we couldn't find any good plays by women." More so, however, I think it exists to target the underlying prejudice and precedent which exists amongst the producers who make that excuse, whether they know they operate under it or not. Quite often, I think even the most progressive male producers and directors feel uncomfortable with the notion that they can't escape the culture of patriarchy under which they have been raised. They don't know how to combat that oppression openly without fighting the full fight, and so they brush it off out of fear. The destruction of an outdated, misinformed, uneducated precedent is not something to be feared - it can only bring growth. And the sooner male producers realize that and start utilizing resources like The List, the better.
Like Natalia, I just heard about the Kilroys as well in our Foundations of Drama class. I was so intrigued and later that day went and found The List for 2015, then went and looked as some from previous years as well, and I hadn't recognized one by title. As a women aspiring to go into this field, I was disappointed in myself. Earlier in the year in Foundations of Drama we were asked to submit of list of 8 plays we liked with certain criteria and looking back now, all the play writes were male. I wish I would have thought to be more consciences of that because I do believe if everyone gets into a habit of it now, in time it will become routine. I hope that The Kilroys keep expanding and people, both men and women, look to it to find good works in an easy way that are from female play writes. As much as we can be quick to point out men should be utilizing these things, we as women need to just as much, if not more.
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