DC's Women's Voice Theater Festival Holds Opening Celebration

The DC Women's Theater Festival kicks off with a special opening celebration at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, on September 8. The seven originating theaters of the Women's Voices Theater Festival are pleased to announce details for productions as part of the unprecedented effort that will unite more than 50 professional theater companies in the nation's capital region from September-October.

Participating companies will each present world-premiere productions of a work by one or more female playwrights, highlighting both the scope of plays being written by women and the range of professional theater being produced in and around the area.

"We believe the Women's Voices Theater Festival will be the largest collaboration of theater companies working simultaneously to produce original works by female writers in history," said organizers.

Molly Smith, Paul R. Tetreault, Ryan Rilette, Michael Kahn, Eric Schaeffer, David Muse and Howard Shalwitz -- the artistic directors of Arena Stage, Ford's Theatre, Round House Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Signature Theatre, Studio Theatre and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company -- generated the concept of the Festival as a way of crafting a response to one of the most pressing issues facing the field: the fact that far fewer female writers' plays receive full productions on American�stages than those of their male counterparts, only 24 percent of productions in the 2014-2015 season, according to�American Theatre Magazine's October 2014 issue. The idea of a region-wide event grew, and soon the entire community became part of the discussion.��

In addition to a kickoff party at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, each of the seven originating theaters and many of the other participating theaters will host ancillary events such as discussions and workshops with playwrights, producers, collaborators and scholars to discuss the many facets of women in theater and to examine their impact on the future of the art form. A full schedule of events will be available at a later date.

The Festival will be marked by two industry weekends -- October 2-4�and�October 23-25-- to share the work with theater colleagues from around the country. During this time performances and events will be scheduled to accommodate the possibility for patrons to attend a high volume of Festival programming.

As of March 31, the Honorary Committee for the Women's Voices Theater Festival includes Jane Alexander, Heidi Lennard Dupler, Senator Dianne Feinstein, Zelda Fichandler,�Marg Helgenberger, Wilhelmina Cole Holladay, Allison Janney, T�a Leoni, Marsha Mason, Audra McDonald, Senator Lisa Murkowski, Julie Taymor, Kathleen Turner and Mare Winningham.�Serving as coordinating producers for the event are Jojo Ruf and Nan Barnett.

"The scope of the project, and the speed with which theaters signed on to participate when we first started shaping it in the fall of 2013, is a testament to the desire so many have to hear more women's voices represented in theater," said organizers. "This massive undertaking, through the productions and supporting events, is ultimately a celebration of the female voice."

All venues will handle their own ticket reservations. A Festival Pass will be available, and will provide a discount of up to 50 percent on single tickets, based on offers from each participating theater for Festival productions and events.

The Women's Voices Theater Festival is grateful for the generous support of individuals and foundations across the national capital region, including Heidi and Mitch Dupler, the National Museum of Women in the Arts and The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, as well as media sponsors L2 Interactive,�The Washington Post, WTOP and WUSA9.

The Women's Voices Theater Festival is an unprecedented two-month effort dedicated to featuring new work by female playwrights with participation from more than 50�theaters throughout the�nation's capital region. Each theater�will�present a world-premiere play or musical that is written, devised or adapted by a female
playwright,�highlighting�the scope of plays being written by women and the range of professional theater being produced in and around the D.C. area.

See the following page for a full listing of shows.

For developing information about artists, venues and tickets, visit womensvoicestheaterfestival.org

Women's Voices Theater Festival Programming

1st Stage
Adventure Theatre MTC
"Caps For Sale, The Musical" based on the children's book by Esphyr Slobodkina, adapted by Ann Marie Mulhearn Sayer & Michael J. Bobbitt, music & lyrics by William�Yanesh, 9/11-9/27

Alliance for New Music-Theatre
"Women of Troy/Voices from Afghanistan" by Susan Galbraith, 10/14-11/1

Arcturus Theater Company
"The Point" by Marilyn Ansevin Austin, 9/24-10/10 in Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church, Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater

"Destiny of Desire" by Karen Zacar�as, 9/11-10/18 in the Kreeger Theater

"Erma Bombeck: At Wit's End" by Allison Engel and Margaret Engel, 10/16-11/8 in the�Arlene and Robert Kogod Cradle

Atlas Performing Arts Center
"Stay Awake" by Mary Hall Surface, 10/2-10/12

Compass Rose Theater
dog & pony dc
"Sing Me A Song" by Wyckham Avery

Doorway Arts Theatre Company
"The Colony" by Allyson Currin
FABUM, Inc.

Faction of Fools Theatre Company
"Frankenstein" by Lindsey D. Snyder, 10/8-11/1 at Eastman Studio Theater at Gallaudet�University���������

Factory 449
"Memory Like Water" by Allyson Currin, 9/3-9/27 at the Anacostia Arts Center
First Draft at the Rose Theatre

"Stolen Beauty" by Leslie Kobylinski, October-November at the Andrew Keegan�Theatre/Arts Club of Washington

Flying V
"The Oregon Trail" by Bekah Brunstetter, 9/4-9/20 at The Writer's Center

Folger Theatre
"texts and beheadings/Elizabeth R" devised and directed by Karin Coonrod, 9/19-10/4

Ford's Theatre
"The Guard" by Jessica Dickey, 9/25-10/18
Forum Theatre

Guillotine Theatre
"Hootenanny" by Monique LaForce, 10/2-10/11 at the National Museum of Women in the�Arts, 10/16-10/18 in the Receiving Vault at Ivy Hill Cemetery

The Highwood Theatre
"Duir-wyyd: The Dreamer's Doorway" by Sandra Kammann, 10/2-10/25

Imagination Stage
"When She Had Wings" by Suzan Zeder, 9/23-11/1 at The Annette M. and Theodore N.�Lerner Family Theatre

The Interrobang Theatre Company and The Strand Theatre Company�
"Kerrmoor" by Susan McCully, 10/29-11/14 at The Mercury Theatre

The Keegan Theatre
"The Magic Tree" by Ursula Rani Sarma at the Andrew Keegan Theatre

"The Dealer of Ballynafeigh" by Rosemary Jenkinson at the Andrew Keegan Theatre

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
"Darius & Twig"�by Caleen Sinnette Jennings, 10/31-11/8 in the Kennedy Center Family�Theater

Live Garra Theatre
"A Matter of Worth" by Marcia E. Cole, 10/12-10/27
Longacre Lea

"Bones In Whispers" by Kathleen Akerley, 8/12-9/6 at The Callan Theatre

"How We Died of Disease-Related Illness"�by Miranda Rose Hall, 8/12-9/6 at The�Callan Theatre

MetroStage
"Uprising" by Gabrielle Fulton
National Museum of Women in the Arts

NextStop Theatre Company
"The Maternity Project" by Ginna Hoben, 9/24-10/11 at The Industrial Strength Theatre

Olney Theatre Center �
"Bad Dog" by Jennifer Hoppe-House, 9/30-10/25 in the Mulitz-Gudelsky Theatre Lab
Pallas Theatre Collective

"Clover" by Laura Rocklyn and Ty Hallmark
Pinky Swear Productions
Playwright Donna Reinhold

Pointless Theatre
"Gimme a Band, Gimme a Banana! The Carmen Miranda Story" by Mel Bieler and Patti�Kalil, 10/16-11/14 at Capital Fringe's Trinidad Theatre

Quotidian Theatre Company
"Maytag Virgin" by Audrey Cefaly, 10/2-11/1 at The Writer's Center
Rep Stage

"Technicolor Life" by Jami Brandli, 10/21-11/8 at Rep Stage Smith Theatre/Horowitz�Center for the Arts

Round House Theatre
"Ironbound" by Martyna Majok, 9/9-10/4
Scena Theatre

"Lady Lay" by Lydia Stryk
Shakespeare Theatre Company
Salome adapted and directed by Ya�l Farber in the Lansburgh Theatre

Signature Theatre
"Cake Off" based on the original play by Sheri Wilner, book by Sheri Wilner & Julia Jordan,�lyrics by Julia Jordan & Adam Gwon, music by Adam Gwon, 9/29-11/22

Single Carrot Theatre
"Phoebe in Winter" by Jen Silverman

Spooky Action Theater Company�
"Can't Complain" by Christine Evans, 10/1-10/25

Studio Theatre
"Animal" by Clare Lizzimore
Synetic Theater

"Alice in Wonderland" by Lloyd Rose, 9/30-11/8
Taffety Punk Theatre Company
Playwright Liz Maestri, 9/18-10/10

Theater Alliance
"Night Falls on the Blue Planet" by Kathleen Akerley, 9/3-9/28

Theater J
"Queens Girl in the World" by Caleen Sinnette Jennings, 9/16-10/11

Thelma Theatre
"Whenever You're Near Me I Feel Sick" by Jennie Berman Eng, 9/17-10/4 at Trinidad�Theatre

"Princess Margaret" by Patricia Connelly, 9/17-10/4 at Trinidad Theatre
Tonic Theater Company

"A Hero of the Revolution" by D.W. Gregory
Unexpected Stage Company

"Trish Tinkler Gets Saved" by Jacqueline Goldfinger, 10/8-10/18 at Randolph Road�Theater
Venus Theatre Company

"Witches Vanish" by Claudia Barnett, 8/20-9/13 at Venus Theatre Play Shack

"Raw" by Amy Bernstein, 10/22-11/15 at Venus Theatre Play Shack
Washington Improv Theater

"The October Issue" by Jaci Pulice and The October Issue ensemble, 9/17-10/10 at�Source
Washington Women in Theatre

"Just Between Us" by Marilyn Hausfeld
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company

"Women Laughing Alone With Salad" by Sheila Callaghan, 9/7-10/4
Young Playwrights' Theater
Girls Write Out! by four young female playwrights�

*Plays, artists and dates are subject to change.