According to a 2014 study, only 17% of the plays produced on US stages are written by women. As well-known playwright Marsha Norman sums it up, “That means, if life worked like theater, 4 out 5 things you ever heard would be said by men.” Fabulous odds. That’s right up there next to the recent “news that’s no surprise” that women make about 79 cents for every dollar a man makes.
But, you ask, what can women possibly do to swing these odds in their favor? This is where Festival51: Women’s Playwriting Festival comes into play. The brainchild of actress and director Leann Heath and co-produced with local theater stalwart Terry Shea, Festival51 has grown in leaps and bounds since its creation in 2015.
When asked what led her to start a new festival from the ground up, Heath cites two major factors, “Every year when theaters start announcing their seasons, there is always discussion around the lack of plays by women, but there’s very little being done about it. As a woman and mother who has worked in theater for most of her life, I’ve seen how hard it is for women to get ahead. I decided to do something instead of talking about it.”
In response to this year’s call for one-act play submissions, the group received more than 400 scripts from across the globe, 15 times the number received in the inaugural season.
The group narrowed the submissions down to eight semifinalists and ultimately, to the final four winning female playwrights: Diana Burbano (Long Beach, Calif), June Guralnick (Apex, NC), Jean Hartley Sidden (Fort Lauderdale, Fla) and Jess Honovich (Pittsburgh, Penn). While there were no local writers in the final four, festival organizers say that Rhode Island was represented in the semifinalists.
The four winning playwrights are an intriguingly diverse group, each hailing from a different part of the country, all at a different stage in their careers and still, each determined to have their creative vision produced. A wide variety of themes, styles and evocative stories can be found within the four winning scripts – each writer showcasing their distinctly individual take on some emotionally charged issues.
When asked about her plays, West Coast playwright Diana Burbano states, “I have things to say that I haven’t seen on stage,” adding, “and characters I think actresses would love to play.” Burbano describes herself as “an immigrant, a nerd, a rocker.” Her winning play, Fabulous Monsters, tells the tale of two fierce feminist Latinas finding success in the decadent music scene of LA in the ’70s — and their emotionally charged reunion 30 years later.
North Carolina-based playwright June Guralnick has written more than a dozen plays that boast vibrant and complex female characters. Her winning comedy, Birds of a Feather: A Comedy About De-Extinction, is no exception, featuring the unlikely combination of time-travel, a female geneticist and the disappearing act of evolution. “At this stage in my career,” she says, “it means so much to be part of a festival that is championing unique women’s dramatic voices.”
Floridian Jean Hartley Sidden is thrilled for the opportunity to be showcased. “I decided a couple of years ago to stop trying to figure out what the world wanted,” she says, “and to write about the things that are important to me.” Her winning one act drama, The Difficult People, tackles head-on the controversy surrounding Florida’s Stand Your Ground gun laws, racial bigotry and the powerful impact that media has on today’s society.
The winning drama Allergen is by “proud female playwright” Jess Honovich, of Pittsburgh. Honovich describes herself as “dedicated to creating material that artists and audiences alike respond to.” Her play takes a non-linear look at the painful process of picking up the pieces after a tragic loss.
Festival51’s Staged readings of the four winning scripts took place over the course of two evenings at the Contemporary Theatre Company on May 27 and 28. The full Festival51: Women’s Playwriting Festival will take the stage at 95 Empire, Providence from July 15 – 24, with two shows running each night in repertory.
With the success of last year’s Festival and the response to current programming, the group is officially seeking non-profit status and Heath sees great promise for Festiva51l’s growth. “This year, I read several plays that I loved, but couldn’t stage — they needed a reading and workshopping to shape them up — but the ideas and the language were great. Those plays solidified my thoughts of turning Festival51 into more of a development process.”
According to Heath, no matter what the future brings, Festival51 will continue to focus on its mission: To give an opportunity to emerging women playwrights and to continue to spark a conversation about these voices that are missing from American stages.
UPCOMING EVENTS
June 2, 2016
The Gnomes will play a benefit night to help fund Festival51 artist’s fees on Thursday, June 2 starting at 7pm at Nick-A-Nee’s, 75 South St, Providence.
July 15-24, 2016
2nd annual Festival51: Women’s Playwriting Festival. Four plays staged in rotating repertory from July 15-24 at Providence’s 95 Empire. festival51.org
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