Photo Flash: The League of Professional Theatre Women Lead Equality March Through Times Square

On June 15th at 6pm, The League of Professional Theatre Women (LPTW), a not-for-profit organization promoting visibility and increased opportunities for women in the field, led an equality march through Times Square to advocate for equal representation of women in theatre, the fourth annual Women Stage The World.

"Women buy two-thirds of the tickets and represent 65% of the audience," said Mahayana Landowne, theatre director and board member of the League of Professional Theatre Women. "The irony is that 80% of the time, the storytelling on stage is shaped by men's voices, not women's. We march for parity--equal representation of women in all areas of the theatre."

On Tuesday, June 15th, at 6pm Broadway theatregoers will see women parading and advocating for equal representation in theatre. Many parading will be wearing costumes in honor of famous women who set the stage: you may recognize the likes of Dorothy Parker, Katharine Cornell, Aphra Behn, Margo Jones, Lady Gregory or Hallie Flanagan, director of the WPA Theatre. In celebration and solidarity, an Advocacy Anthem has been written by composer/lyricist Sheilah Rae. To learn more about the program and parade route, visit www.theatrewomen.org

Women Stage the World, an advocacy project of the LPTW, is designed to educate the public about the role women play in creating theatre and the gender barriers they face as men continue to outnumber women by 4 to 1 in key roles such as playwright, director and designer.

Women Stage the World will prompt ticket-buyers to ask three questions as they make buying decisions:

(1) Who wrote, directed and designed this play?

(2) What is this theatre's track record in giving opportunities to women?

(3) How can you spread the word and promote women's voices?

Like the suffragettes before them, Women Stage the World empowers women and men to become aware, take action and influence others. There is good news in this story, several New York theatres have impressive track records in producing work by women including Playwrights Horizons, New York Theatre Workshop, Three Graces, New Georges and The Women's Project.

"In a field that is influenced by existing networks and long-standing relationships, artistic directors and literary managers need to find ways to remain open to work by women artists," said Karen Eterovich, secretary of the Advocacy Committee of the LPTW. They offer up the example of symphony orchestras that moved to a "blind audition" where women and men audition behind screens. It has more than doubled the number of female concert musicians employed professionally around the country.

Photo Credit: Erik McGregor