Canadian Women Playmakers Conference

[hope mcintyre]

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Artists and Academics Gather to Celebrate the Exciting Work of Women 
Playwrights

TORONTO, December 28, 2005 – The Playwrights Guild of Canada in conjunction 
with the University of Toronto Graduate Centre for Study of Drama, 
Playwrights Canada Press, York University, the Association for Canadian 
Theatre Research, and the Foundation for the Recognition of Excellence in 
Drama are pleased to announce “Canadian Women Playmakers: Tributes and 
Tribulations” an exciting theatre event dedicated to women playwrights in 
Canada to take place May 25-27, 2006 in Toronto at the Graduate Centre for 
Study of Drama.

In 1982, Rina Fraticelli conducted a groundbreaking study that painted a 
dismal picture of women’s participation in Canadian theatre.  Specifically, 
Fraticelli looked at the years between 1978 and 1981.  She analyzed 1156 
productions by 104 theatres across the country.  The resulting figures 
illustrated systemic discrimination with only 10% of plays written by women. 
  Although no full study has been completed since, evidence suggests that 
statistical gains have stagnated or even reversed in the last decade.  Such 
were the findings in recent studies conducted in the United States and the 
United Kingdom, and an informal straw poll of Canada’s 2004-2005 theatrical 
season revealed that out of a total of 26 established theatre companies, 
only 5 had female artistic directors, and only 45 (20.2%) of 233 productions 
were written by women, though another 9 (4.0%) were produced collectively.

Currently, there is renewed national interest in this issue. Take for 
instance the list of events over the past two years that has addressed the 
status of women in Canadian theatre: a forum held at FemFest 2003 in 
Winnipeg; a panel at Toronto’s 2003 Hysteria Festival; panel discussions at 
both the 2004 Professional Association of Canadian Theatre AGM and the 2004 
Magnetic North Theatre Festival held in Edmonton; a mock debate and public 
discussion at the 2004 Hysteria Festival; and most recently, in March 2005, 
Halifax hosted a workshop on the issue entitled Women in Theatre: The 
Maritime Experience. As well, a new initiative is underway to gather current 
statistics and compose an action plan (Equity in Canadian Theatre: The 
Women’s Initiative).  “Clearly there is both an interest and a need for 
dialogue among theatre practitioners and academics,” states Hope McIntyre, 
the conference organizing committee Chair. “This initiative is a direct 
result of the need to dialogue on the issue of women playwrights’ 
representation on Canadian stages as well as the desire to celebrate and 
showcase work by women playwrights.”

Women make up the majority of the theatre-going audience yet the average 
theatre season still has male playwrights taking the spotlight.  “Women 
express limitation in what they can write about.  How do they break out of 
the box and join their male counterparts who have the luxury of writing 
about anything that they want?” asks organizing committee member and 
playwright Marcia Johnson.  As well, with the main stages producing a 
smaller percentage of work by women, women playwrights are also not getting 
published as often as their male counterparts therefore limiting the access 
to their work, which is one of the primary reasons Playwrights Canada Press 
launched this conference initiative two years ago with the input of Dr. 
Judith Rudakoff of York University.



This event will celebrate the achievements of Canadian Women Playwrights, 
while providing an overview of the place of women playwrights in Canadian 
theatre.  It will seek the common ground for women's playwriting and 
Canadian theatre in general, as well as elaborating particular challenges 
women playwrights may face.  The result will be increased dialogue between 
academics and practitioners.  Since many women work outside of the 
traditional theatrical structure the conference will also explore the 
reframing of the concept of "playwright" and the traditional, 
management-based relationships between creators and producers in Canadian 
Theatre, leading to the possibility of new and more flexible conditions of, 
and opportunities for, production of women's theatre.

Ultimately the event is about plays by women, first and foremost, and then 
it is about getting those plays read, heard, developed and produced.   The 
focus will be on integrative sessions; sessions in which academics, 
practitioners, men and women collaborate towards a better understanding of 
the broad range of issues with which women playwrights have to contend.  The 
conference will truly be a celebratory theatre event that will include those 
who make the decisions in theatre, those who write about theatre, those who 
practice theatre and those who compose theatrical audiences.  With evening 
showcases and readings by emerging and established playwrights from across 
Canada, this event will also create a greater appreciation of what women 
have to offer their audiences.  At the end of the three days delegates will 
leave feeling invigorated, full of new ideas and strategies.

The National Conference Organizing Committee includes:  Bruce Barton, Dian 
Marie Bridge, Anne Chislett, Joanna Falck, Gerhard Hauck, Marcia Johnson, 
Katherine Koller, Laura Levin, Laura McLeod, Hope McIntyre, Kimberley Orton, 
and Judith Rudakoff.

For further information on this announcement, please refer to the attached 
itinerary.  Announcement of conference participants will be made in 
February.

-30-

Information:
Hope McIntyre				Dian Marie Bridge
Chair, Conference Organizing Committee		Membership Services
Canadian Women Playmakers 			Playwrights Guild of Canada
(204) 586-2236				(416) 703-0201
raregem3 at hotmail.com			info at playwrightsguild.ca

“Canadian Women Playmakers:  Tributes and Tribulations”
ITINERARY
THURSDAY, May 25th 2006
4:00-7:30 pm	Registration

8:00-9:30pm	In A Woman’s Voice:  An evening of monologues

9:30pm		Opening Meet and Greet


FRIDAY, May 26th 2006 (joint sessions with ACTR)
8:30 am		Registration Continues

8:30-9:30 am	Continental Breakfast

9:30-11:00 am	Chronicling Canada’s Women Playwrights

11:00-11:15 am	Refreshment Break

11:15-12:45 pm	New Play Development Session:
			Creating the Work, Evolving the Work

1:00-2:00 pm	Lunch

2:00-3:15 pm	Women as Playmakers

3:15-3:30 pm	Refreshment Break

3:30-5:00 pm	Equity in the Canadian Theatre:  The Women’s Initiative

5:00-7:30 pm	Dinner Break (meal not provided)

7:30-9:00 pm	Showcase Performance Event

9:00 pm		Reception


SATURDAY, May 27th 2006
1:30-2:30 pm	Lunch with Keynote Address

2:30-3:45 pm	Commercial Success

3:45-4:00 pm	Refreshment Break

4:00-5:30 pm	Playwright Readings
			(in conjunction with Tarragon Theatre’s Spring Arts Fair)

5:30-7:00 pm	Dinner Break (meal not provided)

8:00-10:00 pm	PLENARY SESSION: This is my Story, but is this my Life?
                                       Sources of Inspiration

10:00 pm		Closing Party