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Women on Women

This is my favorite/least favorite time of year.

It’s play-choosing time.

I read as many plays as I can and try to pick nine that will make up a season of theater.

One of the things I look for is work by women, but also for women (work that will utilize some of the many talented actresses I know).

You wouldn’t believe how difficult this ends up being.

The number of women who write great roles for women is terrifyingly small.

I don’t know if women are scared to write plays with too many women characters in them because they feel like if they write plays that utilize men then male Artistic Directors will be more apt to choose their play, or if writing like and/or for men is just something that’s becoming an unfortunate side effect of women not being produced enough in American theater.

Either way, it’s disheartening that men are the ones in charge of creating the majority of roles for women.  I end up faced with the same question every year:

Do I pick a play that offers an actress I know a great opportunity or do I choose a play that offers a woman’s point of view even though it’ll mean most of my actresses will be left offstage?

The third choice is always—Just say “Fuck it” and do Godspell.

I call that the Nuclear Option.

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