Theater Preview | Chicago Reader: Roughly 15 or so years ago, the Jeff Committee called in a trio of cis-male set/light/sound designers to give members an overview of their work. As the presentation wound down, the men took questions. The question I remember (because as a then-member of the committee, I asked it) was whether women were represented to any significant degree among designers and if not, why not. The answer—a slightly awkward and quite vague "Well, not really . . . because there just aren't"—was as dismal as it was memorable.
8 comments:
As a woman in the design world, I felt that this was an incredibly relevant article. Because of the ongoing problem that women in many workplaces don't get as many opportunities as men, in the area of design I feel like it's super important to realize how much potential there is to change. Especially because theatre is a generally liberal occupation to have, it may come as a surprise that there is underlying misogyny in the technical theatre. This may root from the common misconception that men are stronger than women, but either way it is incredibly great that this idea is getting out there. I am inspired by women like Miller and Karczewski who are changing the way women's work is seen in the industry. Positive steps are being taken towards total equality in the workplace which is super encouraging, and to see some women getting nominated for awards and being the lead designer on shows is really cool.
As a woman in the design world, I felt that this was an incredibly relevant article. Because of the ongoing problem that women in many workplaces don't get as many opportunities as men, in the area of design I feel like it's super important to realize how much potential there is to change. Especially because theatre is a generally liberal occupation to have, it may come as a surprise that there is underlying misogyny in the technical theatre. This may root from the common misconception that men are stronger than women, but either way it is incredibly great that this idea is getting out there. I am inspired by women like Miller and Karczewski who are changing the way women's work is seen in the industry. Positive steps are being taken towards total equality in the workplace which is super encouraging, and to see some women getting nominated for awards and being the lead designer on shows is really cool.
GAh it makes me mad that this cis-man trio’s response to why are women not significantly represented was “there just aren’t [many]”. The author is right when she says that is incredibly dismal, but it is also incredibly dismissive. With this statement, these men are avoiding being accountable or taking any responsibility for making any change in gender disparity in designers. More importantly, they are dismissing all the non-male designers that are out there, and by thinking that there are no non-male designers to fill designer positions, they are avoiding fixing the problem, whether they realize it or not. A part of this article that stuck out to me is Alexis Black’s quote “Women in design aren't waiting for someone else to create space at the table. They're saying, 'Hey, we're making this table bigger.” I think that this is a very important frame of mind to have being non-male in this industry because like the author cites, women are less likely to apply for jobs if they do not think they meet the qualifications – which speaks to how non-male individuals are conditioned to think they cannot do a job if they do not think they will exceed the expectations of the employer. I found the testimonies from these female professionals refreshing and encouraging.
I keep reading articles that bring light to the fact that women aren't being granted the representation they've deserved for so long, and that they are finally fighting for what they've worked for. A line from the article, "When I was first starting, it was like nobody heard my ideas until they were repeated by a man," gave me absolute chills. Women designers have just as strong, creative, innovative ideas and it makes me sick to my stomach that someone's brilliance could be insignificant simply because of their gender. I think it's extremely important that Alexis Black made the point to explain that women aren't trying to kick the men out, just to be equally represented on design teams. I think that men become fearful that women will take their jobs, but in reality, there are enough positions for everyone, women just want to be represented (is that too much to ask for?). This article reminded me of a situation I was in a year ago-- I was lucky enough to shadow a mentor at a scenic design meeting at the Met Opera. I walked into the room and was surrounded by six tall older white men, and immediately felt out of place as a very small, young woman. It was in that moment that I said to myself that I was determined to change that aspect of the industry. It is articles like this that (though they are extremely frustrating) fuel my fire.
This article, though it frustrates me beyond belief, helps to fuel my fire.
I really enjoyed this article, and really disliked this title. I chose to read it because of the title, it's true, but mostly because it sounded so condescending and mediocre: Women Designers Make It Work Onstage. After reading the article, I still feel like the title does not do the content, and the women who are involved in it, justice. These women do not merely "make it work", they looked at a system that was and always has been pitted against them and they said "No. Enough." Part of the reason I enjoyed the article was because these interviewees look at the reality of the situation and analyze it honestly. Through no intention of sexism or discrimination, I know of plenty of Theatre Managers who get comfortable working with the people they know and trust, and they hire them back time and time again. However, when we look at who makes up this pool of resident designers, we do realize that they are mostly white, cis males. It's not that these practitioners, who are most likely very talented in their own right, need to get fired. It's that we need to "make the table bigger." This takes so much courage, and the progress, while slow, should not be overlooked. I find it staggering, and a fascinating psychological study, to learn that women don't apply for a job until they have 90% of the qualifications, whereas men apply with as low as 40% of the required qualifications for the job. We have always been held to a higher scrutiny, and therefore the risk has always been higher. It's about damn time women get recognized for "making it work" onstage, as it sounds like we've been making do with these situations anyway for long enough.
As much as I always hope to see articles about change and improvement in the industry, I know that there is still a long way to go, and this article reminds me of that. I have definitely heard directors and other authority figures, when asked about gender diversity in their workplace or on their team, make similar comments that they just don't think women exist in those roles. Whenever I read something about lack of visibility of gender diversity in theatre I am always reminded of job postings I have seen recently on Facebook and other online platforms. Out of all of the ads that include a picture of employees, almost always it is the case that the majority, usually all, are white men. I always find it very difficult to be motivated to apply somewhere when I do not see myself represented in any of part of the company's marketing materials.
The idea that women were not represented in theatre because there weren't enough of us drives me insane!! That's always the argument and it's never actually true! How could it be that the majority of my class is women, yet there "isn't enough" of us? The truth is, there's plenty of professional female designers, they just aren't being hired and don't win awards as frequently. It's frustrating to say the least! We're just as talented and our perspectives are not just useful, but necessary to theatre. It's important that we make ourselves heard, because the industry has made it very clear they will not do it for us. There's no way for us to get where we need to be without doing it ourselves. To me, this gives me so much admiration for the women we see succeeding in the industry! Rachel Huack and Mimi Lien.....I see you.
I’d just like to start out with the title: “Women Designers Make it Work On Stage”. I am quite certain that they do more than just make it work. I believe they actually create beautiful and successful art, but I digress. Continuing in to how this article was framed. The laziest and most devastating response to the question “Why don’t you have more women in key positions” is the response that there aren’t women who want these jobs, and the amount that this industry responds with that is appalling. I really appreciate reading articles like this because they serve as a reminder that there are women in these roles and they are fighting for space for women to follow them. I really appreciate the efforts to make the table bigger. That is an excellent way to describe the actions that we need to be taking. Filling the quota of “diverse” personnel is nowhere near enough, and we need to acknowledge that.
Post a Comment