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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hello</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>FYI: an event that may be of interest to
people in the Toronto area next weekend.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Cheers,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Rebecca</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>
<P class=MsoTitle><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">For
Immediate Release<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoSubtitle><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 10">
</SPAN>October 13, 2004</SPAN></P>
<P align=center class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><U><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 16pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">The
Status of Women in Theatre: A Public Debate!<o:p></o:p></SPAN></U></B></P>
<H3 align=center style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><EM><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-STYLE: normal; TEXT-DECORATION: none; text-underline: none">The
Official Launch of the National Committee on the
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></EM></H3>
<H3 align=center style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><EM><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-STYLE: normal; TEXT-DECORATION: none; text-underline: none">Status
of Women in Canadian Theatre</SPAN></EM><EM><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-STYLE: normal; TEXT-DECORATION: none; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; text-underline: none"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></EM></H3>
<P class=MsoHeader style="tab-stops: .5in"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="tab-stops: 84.75pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Toronto,
ON-</SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">
In 1982 <B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Rina Fraticelli</B> published
her report on the Status of Women in Canadian Theatre exposing the inequities on
the nation’s stages. Over twenty years later Toronto’s <B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Nightwood Theatre</B> and the <B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Women’s Caucus of the Playwright’s Guild of
Canada</B> are re-opening the report, unsatisfied with the stagnant numbers
being revealed by recent polls of gender inequity in Canadian Theatre.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText2><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">Statistics
are showing that the majority of students graduating from professional training
programs are women and yet only 18% of the country’s Artistic Directors are
women; only 17 % of plays produced professionally in 2003/2004 were written by
women, and only 21% had female directors.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>These stunning results, 20 years after the original report, show only
minor percentile increases to the Fraticelli findings. This new initiative thus
launches an official investigation into Canadian Theatre in order to ensure that
women’s equal participation is finally realized.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-RIGHT: -0.25in"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">To
support this project <B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Nightwood’s
Artistic Director, Kelly Thornton</B> and <B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Hope McIntyre, Chair, Women’s Caucus of the
Playwrights Guild of Canada,</B> have assembled a national advisory made up of
some of Canada’s brightest theatre practitioners and academics. Now this
brilliant team of women will converge in Toronto for a three-day mini conference
<B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">November 12-14, 2004</B>. The public
component, taking place on <B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">November
13</B> is sure to stir up many fiery opinions on the topic. Taking place as part
of the <B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">2004 Hysteria Festival</B>, <B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><U>The Status of Women in Theatre: A Public
Debate!</U></B> will be held with members of the national committee taking
positions on some of the toughest questions surrounding this issue:<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Should affirmative action be enforced to
ensure equal representation?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Is
“good art” a gendered question?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Should Government granting bodies mandate the issue of gender as they
have with the issue of cultural diversity? </I></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-RIGHT: -0.25in"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Please
join us on <B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">November 13, 2004 at 2pm at
Tallulah’s Cabaret</B> for this provocative DEBATE hosted by <B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Elvira Kurt</B>. Since last year's original
panel discussion at Hysteria on the Status of Women in Theatre similar panels
and roundtables have cropped up across the country (PACT, Magnetic North,
LMDA Mini-Conference on Dramaturgy), all grappling with the issues of inequity
and under-representation. Now the national committee gathers to begin the task
of asking, <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">how do we ultimately change
the system for good?</I><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Committee
members joining McIntyre and Thornton in Toronto for this bold event include <B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Jackie Maxwell, Jan Selman, Louise Forsyth,
Yvette Nolan, Naomi Campbell, Nancy Webster, Judith Rudakoff, Diane Roberts,
Jessica Schneider, Cynthia Grant, Kate Weiss, Aida Jordao, </B>and core
researcher<B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"> Rebecca Burton </B>(other
committee members unable to attend include <B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Susan Bennett, Denyse Lynde and Maria
Campbell</B>).</SPAN></P>
<H5 align=center style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">The Status of Women in Canadian Theatre:
A Public Debate!<o:p></o:p></SPAN></H5>
<H6><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">Saturday, November 13, 2004,
2pm<o:p></o:p></SPAN></H6>
<H4 align=center style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Tallulah’s
Cabaret, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre<o:p></o:p></SPAN></H4>
<H6><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">As part of <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Hysteria: a Festival of Women</I>, presented
by Buddies in Bad Times Theatre <o:p></o:p></SPAN></H6>
<H6><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">in association with Nightwood
Theatre, running November 4-13, 2004<o:p></o:p></SPAN></H6>
<P align=center class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN-RIGHT: -0.25in; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Free
Admission, for reservations call Box Office at 416 975 8555</SPAN></B><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P align=center class=MsoHeader
style="MARGIN-RIGHT: -0.25in; TEXT-ALIGN: center; tab-stops: 5in"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">-
30 -<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P align=center class=MsoHeader style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; tab-stops: .5in"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><U><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Media
Contact:</SPAN></U></B><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">
</SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Erica
Kopyto, Assistant to the Chairs of the National Advisory on The Status of Women
in Canadian Theatre at <B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><A
href="mailto:erica@nightwoodtheatre.net">erica@nightwoodtheatre.net</A></B> or
call <B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">416 944 1740, x 7.</B></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>