The Los Angeles Female Playwrights Initiative is a grassroots movement that is constantly evolving. So we welcome – no, we need – your ideas and involvement.
- Join the FPI to be put on our mailing list.
- Click Here to make a Tax-Deductible Donation.
- Email info@lafpi.com with any questions or schemes.
And please help spread the word about what were doing and where to find us: lafpi.com
LAFPI Spotlight
Here are some words from playwright-activist Julia Jordan, on the movement to achieve gender parity for theater artists and and activities in New York (2010).
From the beginning, I’ve been amazed by the amount of energy and the number of voices that have lent themselves to addressing the lack of female written plays on our stages. I firmly believe that the next step in the fight is t
o include directors, designers, choreographers, composers and importantly actresses in the effort, as we are all affected. The bias is across the board. We prove each other’s cases. We also create work for one another.
I recently read that cognitive psychologists do not like the word “bias.” They prefer to call the phenomena “predictable cognitive errors.” Theaters that show bias are making errors in artistic and financial judgement. The behavior has been documented in field after field. It is a human problem. But it can be addressed.
We had a huge rise in the number of productions by women this year in NYC as compared to last. A far higher percentage of those female written plays were hits than those their male counterparts. This is to be expected. It doesn’t mean women are better writers, it means that there is a backlog of superior work by women that has not yet been tapped into yet, where as the male written plays have been far more combed over. When theaters realize the errors they have been making in programing have lowered their chances of success…. They will change their habits. They also need to realize that if audiences have a bias, it is in favor of work about women. That’s all we need to do, show them the error of their ways.
Julia Jordan
Click here to read Discrimination and the Female Playwright, co-authored by Jordan with playwright Sheri Wilner, used with permission from The Dramatists Guild.
How can I become apart of your group
Hi Georgie! Thanks for reaching out! Visit https://lafpi.com/join/ to be put on our mailing list, and feel free to email [email protected] or me, directly, at [email protected] for more info! –Jennie Webb
Can you please send me the link to get get tickets for the Sept 8th event?
Thanks!
GG
Hi Georginna – just show up at Sam French! Any questions, email [email protected]. Thanks for finding us!
An opportunity for playwrights – would love to have ALL FEMALE playwrights represented. Information on our website at http://www.theatreartswest.org
Terrific–thanks! We’ll see if we can help get the word out.
Please pass this on – Glendale college is looking for DESIGNERS! full time job! tenured! Set, costume, lighting, sound – applications close 1/9 at 5pm
https://www.governmentjobs.com/jobs/1367581/theatre-arts-technical-theatre-instructor/agency/gccedu/apply
Thanks, Melissa! I’ll pass this onto our EBlast Editors – but feel free to shoot them an e [email protected].
I have a play running right now for 3 more performances as part of LA Theater Festival. “Trouble Dolls (The Limo Driver”) and it is getting great response but so hard to get an audience and impossible to get reviewed. I am so glad to discover this organization and hope people will see my play! Ru y Theater at the Complex. Latheaterfestival.com for details.
Hey Denise! I wish we’d connected before so we could have supported you! Hope it went well and congrats – looking forward to meeting you soon!
Hi!
My name is Megan Cavallari and I am a composer. I write for TV, features and theatre.
We are so underrepresented we are not even in the data on women in theatre and Hollywood. Do you ever consider musicals?
Thank you,
Megan
Hey Megan! LA FPI isn’t a producing organization, so if by “do you ever consider” you’re talking a production… can’t help you there. But we’d love to find a way to connect you to theatermakers and women theater artists. Are you on our mailing list?
Looking forward to meeting some talented, women in the business. Been looking for something like this. I will be at Samuel French Bookshop on July 20th.
Can’t wait! 🙂
Pauline Anne
Actress/writer
Looking forward to meeting you, too!
Just moved to LA last wednesday…yay
Look forward to receiving info @ events and gatherings
business meetings – love to participate
Best
Ann
Ann P Meredith
Playwright/Director/Producder