1st  Annual WOMEN IN THEATRE FESTIVAL (WIT)

NYC

JUNE 2016 at Under St. Marks, ART/NY Studios (in Manhattan and Brooklyn)

and

JULY 2016 at Theatre Row, in the Studio Theatre

 

The Women In Theatre Festival (WIT) is a curated three-week festival of new plays and innovative performances by diverse women artists.  Performances will take place in New York City in June and July 2016. Projects have been chosen by invitation.  Our lineup includes full productions, innovative theatre work, solo shows, online content and readings.

In a direct response to gender disparity in theatre leadership, casting, and production, the objective of WIT is to broaden the opportunities for women artists, engage with an audience who seek an indie theatre experience, and add to the canon of women playwrights writing roles for women actors. To this end, WIT is producing new works by women writers and lead artists, to be presented at the festival in an effort to achieve #GenderParity by going #BeyondParity in our programming.

Projects include the NY Premiere of EM Lewis’ searing new play, "The Gun Show," and Lia Romeo’s dark comedy, "Baby Boom," two plays about guns and violence.

FEATURED PLAYS

"The Gun Show" by E.M. Lewis, directed by Shelley Butler, featuring PY Co-Artistic Director Andrew W. Smith

Wednesday, July 13th at 8pm (w/Elephant Run District)
Thursday, July 14th at 8pm (w/"Baby Boom")
Friday, July 15th at 8pm (w/"Baby Boom")
Saturday, July 16th at 2pm (with Talk Back)
Saturday, July 16th at 8pm (w/"Nice Tits!")
Sunday, July 17th at 3pm (w/"Baby Boom")
Friday, July 22nd at 8pm (w/PTP/NYC)
Saturday, July 23rd at 2pm (w/"STEUBENVILLE")
Saturday, July 23rd at 8pm (w/"Baby Boom")
Sunday, July 24th at 3pm (w/"Naked")
Theatre Row in the Studio Theatre

From a farming community in rural Oregon to the big cities of Los Angeles and New York, playwright E. M. Lewis takes aim at her own relationship with firearms in "The Gun Show." An actor shares Ms. Lewis’s unique perspective and true stories about America’s most dangerous pastime as if they were his own, with brutal honesty and poignant humor. Leaning neither right nor left, "The Gun Show" jumps into the middle of the gun control debate, and asks "Can we have a conversation about this?"

"Human, bold, sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking, but always honest." - Newcity Stage, Chicago

*Nominated for a Jeff Award for Best Solo Show

"Baby Boom" by Lia Romeo, directed by PY Co-Artistic Director Michole Biancosino

Thursday, July 14th at 8pm (w/"The Gun Show")
Friday, July 15th at 8pm (w/"The Gun Show")
Saturday, July 16th at 4pm (w/"Back from the Dead")
Sunday, July 17th at 3pm (w/"The Gun Show")
Wednesday, July 20th at 8pm (w/"Fall Risk")
Thursday, July 21st at 8pm (w/"Sumatanga")
Saturday, July 23rd at 4pm (w/Aaron Ballard)
Saturday, July 23rd at 8pm (w/"The Gun Show")
Theatre Row in the Studio Theatre

Mr. and Mrs. Smith are the perfect couple... except for the baby they desperately want but are unable to have. When a machine gun dressed in baby clothes shows up on their doorstep, they decide to keep it and raise it as their own. But it proves to be more difficult than they expected.

"Romeo playfully spun out her tale until it took a dark turn, infusing her absurd framework with real passions and a bittersweet take on life"

- AmbushMag.com

Dinner With Frenemies a reading by Cecilia Copeland (Artistic Director of NY Madness), and Panel on Women Playwrights, hosted by playwright and Project Y Literary Manager, Lia Romeo

Tuesday, July 12th at 7pm Theatre Row in the Studio Theatre
Dinner With Frenemies a reading by Cecilia Copeland (Artistic Director of NY Madness)

CAST: Caitlin Cooke, John Concado, Imran Sheikh, and Marissa Wolf.

DINNER WITH FRENEMIES will make you howl at and with everything from Ms. Pacman to vegan appetizers to bidets. It's a new brand of #feministcomedy in the spirit of telling it like it is... for laughs.  

 

Panel on Women Playwrights, hosted by playwright and Project Y Literary Manager, Lia Romeo

Join PY Literary Manager Lia Romeo as she moderates a discussion with working NYC women playwrights.

 

3 short Plays by: Elephant Run District

Wednesday, July 13th at 8pm Theatre Row in the Studio Theatre

Artistic Director Aimee Todoroff brings us a staged reading of three new plays by playwrights: Kelly Zekas, Bernie Fowler, Ciara Ni Chuirc.

"Back from the Dead" reading of a new play by Addie Walsh (winner United Solo Festival, Best Variety Show)

Saturday, July 16th at 4pm Theatre Row in the Studio Theatre

A woman, slammed by a mid-life crisis, struggles to cope by employing soap-operatic survival skills, elevator flashbacks and a connection with a younger woman whose obsession with televised romance fuels a miraculous transformation.

"Nice T!ts" Full Production, written & performed by Amy Marcs

Saturday, July 16th at 8pm Theatre Row in the Studio Theatre

Just when life was going so well, Amy got breast cancer. With an American icon by her side, Amy navigates the hills and valleys of doctor visits, toy stores, hellish support groups and her understandably healthy obsession with her rack. "Simultaneously hilarious and touching. One show you don't want to miss!" - Bust Magazine

 

Directed by Peter Michael Marino

Baby Mama: One Woman’s Quest to Give Her Child to Gay People by Mariah MacCarthy

Tuesday, July 19th at 7pm Theatre Row in the Studio Theatre

Baby Mama: One Woman’s Quest to Give Her Child to Gay People tracks one birth mother's true adoption journey, from conception to placement with the gay couple of her dreams—while still living her life, dating, and attending the occasional orgy. From adoption agencies to vaginal discharge, from burlesque to good­byes, this intimate night of storytelling is up close and personal. Bring hankies.

In The Gray (Adventures of an Ethio-American actor riding elevators to truth) by Antu Yacob (playwright of "Mourning Son") and MOCK by Jess Honovich

Wednesday, July 20th at 2pm Theatre Row in the Studio Theatre
In The Gray (Adventures of an Ethio-American actor riding elevators to truth) by Antu Yacob

Directed by Celestine Rae

Ever wonder what an unstereotypical Ethio-American acter is? Do you ponder on what the experiences of a quirky yet earthy Americanized African woman in the entertainment business, in relationships, in cross cultural confusion, in life, must be like? Even if you haven't, come watch as Antu Yacob tells you more about her life than you ever want to know in the premiere of her one woman show In The Gray: Adventures of an Ethio-American acter riding elevators to truth.

MOCK by Jess Honovich

Directed by Jenny Leon

This new play centers on a champion High School Mock Trial team as they grapple with an assignment that reveals the groups' true divide.

"Fall Risk" a solo show by Dana Jacks

Wednesday, July 20th at 8pm Theatre Row in the Studio Theatre

World Premiere solo show by Dana Jacks (David Cromer’s Our Town).

This is a story about a person who woke up one morning to start her day and then found herself in ICU at King's County Hospital recovering from a traumatic brain injury. Against the backdrop of her experience acting in Our Town, a play that is all about memory, Dana Jacks opens our eyes to the risks we take every day of living our lives and never knowing where any given day will take us.

"Sumatanga" a New Play Reading by Sarah Dunivant

Thursday, July 21st at 8pm Theatre Row in the Studio Theatre

The quirky staff of Camp Sumatanga struggle to get along after their leader abruptly resigns. Set in rural Georgia, Sumatanga is the story of loyalty, love, and friendship.

Sycorax: Cyber Queen of Qatar
by Fengar Gael
directed by Cheryl Faraone

A Workshop by PTP/NYC led by Artistic Director, Cheryl Faraone

Friday, July 22nd at 8pm Theatre Row in the Studio Theatre
 

The Subtle Powers of Transmutation by Aaron Ballard

Saturday, July 23rd at 4pm Theatre Row in the Studio Theatre

In her multi- media experience, The Subtle Powers of Transmutation, Aaron Ballard reveals stories from her sheltered upbringing in small town South Carolina while simultaneously exploring the life of trail blazer Victoria Woodhull, the first woman to run for president of the United States.  Born from her admiration of Victoria Woodhull, this show blurs history with imagination as Aaron contrasts her own life to Victoria’s.  The audience actively participates in this strange, hilarious, touching journey of questioning and self- discovery. 

Director: Ben Charles

Projection Design: Ben Charles 

"Naked" by Vanessa Shealy Younger

Sunday, July 24th at 3pm Theatre Row in the Studio Theatre

A woman shows up for an artist, this is her first time to pose as a nude model, but she is too scared and self conscious to take off her robe.  

 

A solo show by the leader of Younger Child Productions.

 The Women in Theatre Festival is generously supported by the Nancy Quinn Fund, a program of the Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York (A.R.T/New York).

Funding has been made possible by the Puffin Foundation.