{"id":3023,"date":"2016-09-13T17:01:30","date_gmt":"2016-09-13T23:01:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pressreleases.uccs.edu\/?p=3023"},"modified":"2016-09-14T11:07:24","modified_gmt":"2016-09-14T17:07:24","slug":"gender-disparity-among-playwrights-directors-topic-of-first-uccs-national-town-hall-theater-panel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pressreleases.uccs.edu\/?p=3023","title":{"rendered":"Gender disparity among playwrights, directors topic of first UCCS National Town Hall theater panel"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Teresa Meadows<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Tina Packer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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P. Carl<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Carey Perloff<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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COLORADO SPRINGS — Nationally renowned theater professionals from both coasts and in between will converge at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs Sept. 18 to discuss a critical theme in theater circles\u2014women constitute more than 60 percent of theatergoers but write fewer than 25 percent of U.S. plays produced.<\/p>\n

Why does this gender-composition disparity exist between theater\u2019s audiences and its practitioners, and what are the implications? What challenges are faced by transgender artists or those from other underrepresented demographics? And how do such inequities affect the theater\u2019s ability to foster positive social, cultural or political change?<\/p>\n

Such questions will be discussed Sunday at Gender and the American Stage, a National Town Hall public dialogue hosted by the Theatre and Dance program at UCCS. The 2 p.m. panel discussion at the Dusty Loo Bon Vivant Theater\u2014an extension of the Prologue discussion series UCCS has hosted for several years\u2014is free but advance reservations at www.theatreworkscs.org\/tickets.html<\/a> are required.<\/p>\n

Gender disparities exist in many industries but UCCS Associate Professor Kevin Landis notes, \u201cThere\u2019s a perception of theater and the arts as \u2018forward-thinking\u2019\u2014that we should be more inclusive than other industries. Unfortunately, we don\u2019t necessarily see that reflected in the numbers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Inspired by similar kinds of forums at New York\u2019s prestigious Public Theater (where as scholar-in-residence Landis was mentored by Oskar Eustis, under whose watch the runaway Broadway hit \u201cHamilton\u201d took flight), Landis called upon scholars, directors, practitioners and advocates to discuss the way forward at Sunday\u2019s panel at UCCS. The panelists will be:<\/p>\n