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| Street art found in NY. Of course, I shared with That'swhatshesaid. I'm in your corner, girls! |
So, my good friend in Seattle, Erin, is producing and starring in this one-woman show that our friend, Courtney, "wrote" (she really more conceptualized (with Erin) and collaged it as you'll see when I get more into it) and Ho. Lee. Crap. There is SO MUCH controversy surrounding this show now.
OK, so here is the story from the beginning. Erin and Courtney, in response to auditioning for, reading, and seeing theatre, were feeling disenfranchised as women by the roles available for actresses. They decided to start thinking about how to address this issue in a socially responsible and non-preachy manor right around the time American Theatre Magazine came out with their list of Top-10 (really 11 that year because, ties) Most-Produced Plays of the 2014-2015 Season, which featured 9 plays written by men and 2 written by women. In those shows there are 74 roles and 34 of those roles are women. Twenty-eight of the 34 roles are written by the male playwrights. Erin and Courtney, using only the women's dialogue and stage directions in these 10 (really 11) shows, collaged and shaped their own piece looking at how women are depicted in American theatre.
The show is, obviously, awesome, and The Stranger wrote a review saying just that. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately in the long run? We really have to see where this goes before making that statement), that review came to the attention of one of featured playwright's agents who then brought the show to the attention of that show's publisher, Samuel French. Samuel French then sent That'swhatshesaid a cease & desist order two hours before curtain on the second night of the show.
Erin, Courtney, and Hatlo, the director, got together to figure out what to do with this c&d. They decided that they would still do the show (it was sold out for the rest of the run), but all of the lines/stage directions in the offending play, Joshua Harmon's Bad Jews, would be redacted. After the show closed, Samuel French sent That'swhatshesaid ANOTHER c&d this time over Matthew Lopez's The Whipping Man, which HAS NO FEMALE CHARACTERS AND THEREFORE NO LINES IN THE SHOW, only the sound of the 72-page script flipping over the loudspeaker as Erin runs around trying to figure out where to go.
Since receiving this second c&d, That'swhatshesaid have found an arts lawyer in Seattle to represent them pro-bono since they, and their lawyer, and a number of other lawyers, all believe that this representation of the top-10 shows falls under the purview of fair use. After finding representation, they found a way to remount the show for a second weekend (this weekend), and promptly received their THIRD c&d, this time from Dramatist Play Service. The show is, obvi, still going on this weekend and even had an American Theatre Magazine article written about this whole issue that just came out today.
Needless to say, I support my friends, and think that these publishers (who obviously have not even read the script) need to get over themselves and move on. Go girls, go!
It's also really hard to read about things that I actually care a LOT about from 3000 miles away. This happened last year (two years ago? HOLY CRAP TWO YEARS AGO!) with the Balagan closing, but I kinda knew about that and this feels like it's coming so far outta left field that HOW could anyone prepare for this kinda stupidity... Anyway. Support them if you can. Gay City only seats 50, and the shows might already be soldout, but if not, it's a 70-minute show and I love these ladies, so see if you can go. Support women on Valentine's Day weekend (make it Galentine's Day, amiright, ladies?). Do it.
*****Second Update: Their lawyer just sent his glorious response to Samuel French and Dramatist Play Service. It's amazing. GINA APPROVED!!!!!! ******
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