PRESS

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6.5.2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Gender Bias is Alive and Well in American Theater
Hedgebrook Writers Retreat Stands Up for New York City Theater

LANGLEY, WA – Taking a bold (and rare) step in American Theatre history, Primary Stages, a New York City theater, is producing an entire season of all-female playwrights. So what does that have to do with Hedgebrook Writers Retreat on Whidbey Island? More than meets the eye.

When Primary Stages announced their season, some of their subscription holders were displeased about this choice and are not renewing their subscriptions. Their complaints?  “Why do a season of only women playwrights? And why haven’t I heard of these women?” The answer: you can’t hear of women playwrights that aren’t getting their work produced. Sadly, 100 years ago, the statistic was higher in New York for productions of work by women playwrights than it was just last year (12.8% in 1908, 12.6% in 2008). Hedgebrook and others around the nation agree - it’s time to take a stand.

Because of their dedication to championing women writers, the folks at Hedgebrook felt it was vital to jump to the aid of a theater making a commitment to include women’s voices in the landscape of theater. As part of an important and timely movement to support Primary Stages’ season of Women Playwrights, and to make up for their loss of subscription buyers, Hedgebrook has purchased and donated a season subscription to an emerging female playwright of the theatre’s choosing, and is encouraging other individuals and organizations to do the same. Hedgebrook’s publishing partner Whit Press (www.whitpress.org) has generously agreed to provide the first match. This political/artistic show of support for Primary Stages is about more than purchasing a season ticket, it’s about taking a stand against gender bias in playwriting in the U.S.

Certainly Hedgebrook is no stranger to supporting women playwrights. Their list of Women Playwrights Festival Alumnae over the last 12 years reads like a Who’s Who of contemporary women playwrights, including Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage, Tanya Barfield, Theresa Rebeck, Sarah Ruhl, Kathleen Tolan and many more. This year, Golden Globe winner Regina Taylor (The Unit) was among the 4 participating playwrights selected from a nominated group of highly accomplished writers who were chosen to be in residence at the Hedgebrook retreat for two weeks in May, culminating with a public presentation of their work last weekend.

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Hedgebrook is a nonprofit organization that supports women writers who come from all over the world to our Whidbey Island retreat to write, rejuvenate and be in community with each other. We provide space and time for them to create significant works and develop innovative programs to bring their work to new and diverse audiences, including the Hedgebrook Writers Series, produced in collaboration with Seattle-based independent publisher Whit Press. Thousands of literary works have been created at Hedgebrook impacting readers and writers all over the world. As alumna Gloria Steinem says; “Hedgebrook isn’t a retreat…it’s an advance.”

For additional information/images please contact: amywheeler@hedgebrook.org or  visit www.hedgebrook.org.

For more information about Primary Stages contact Jessica at: jessica@primarystages.org