League of Professional Theatre Women Announces 35th Season

The League Of Professional Theatre Women (LPTW), dedicated to championing women in theatre since its inception and an authority at the forefront of the conversation about gender parity in American theatre for 35 years, is proud to kick off a new season of programming, events, and advocacy initiatives which provide visibility and opportunities for women.

The LPTW launches its 2017- 2018 season with the triennial LPTW Gilder/Coigney International Theatre Award, the only award of its kind, honoring one woman out of 20 nominees from around the globe. Acknowledging the exceptional work of theatre women around the world, and aiming to make a difference in the life and career of an international woman theatre artist, the LPTW Gilder/ Coigney International Award is presented this year to Adelheid Roosen of The Netherlands on October 23rd, following 6 days of theatre events celebrating Ms. Roosen's work and methodology, beginning October 15th.

On November 6th, the Oral History Project will present an intimate interview with the illustrious producer and business woman Daryl Roth, at the Auditorium at Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts. On November 8th, the League will celebrate the legacy of Betty Corwin with an award for lifetime achievement and contributions to the American theatre. Later this season, the LPTW will give out its five annual awards at the Awards Ceremony and Big Mingle, honoring both emerging and established female-identifying professionals across theatre disciplines. The League will also present two additional Oral History Projects, Julia's Reading Room (a members' reading series of works in progress named for LPTW co-founder Julia Miles), On Her Shoulders (a reading series dedicated to women writers neglected by the traditional theatre canon), as well as heritage, advocacy and networking events.

"It's an exciting time to be a part of the League," remark Co-Presidents Lisa Rothe and Kelli Lynn Harrison, "as we celebrate many inspiring women through excellent programming that supports our mission to champion women in the theatre: groundbreaking Dutch theatre artist Adelheid Roosen, producer Daryl Roth, and theatre legend Betty Corwin, among others."

On Monday, October 23, 2017, at the Graduate Center, CUNY, 365 Fifth Avenue, Adelheid Roosen (pictured), will be celebrated with an all-day immersion (10:00 am to 4pm) into Roosen's life and legacy, a ceremony presenting the award (co-presented with the Martin E. Segal Theatre Center), followed by an after-party co-sponsored by Punto Event Space. The week prior to the award's date includes performances, screenings and events honoring all 20 award nominees. The LPTW Gilder/Coigney International Theatre Award was established in 2011 in honor of Rosamond Gilder and Martha Coigney, two legendary theatre women whose work on the international stage proved that theatre knows no national boundaries. Odile Gakire Katese from Rwanda was the inaugural recipient of the G/C Award in 2011. Patricia Ariza from Colombia received the award in 2014.

On Monday, November 6, 2017 Daryl Roth will be interviewed by theatre journalist Linda Winer as part of the LPTW's Oral History Project. An ongoing project that explores the work and lives of pioneering women in theatre, The Oral History Project interviews feature prominent women in the American theatre who, by recounting their experiences, provide a living history, are videotaped in front of an intimate live audience at New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center and then housed in the Library's Theatre on Film and Tape Archive. This project, now in its impressive 25th year, is produced by Betty Corwin and made possible by generous grants from the Edith Meiser Foundation, the Robert and Betty Sheffer Foundation, and private sponsors.

On Wednesday, November 8, 2017 Betty Corwin will be presented by LPTW with a Lifetime Achievement Award for her contribution to the American Theatre. The event will take place at Sardi's, and feature industry luminaries honoring the legacy of this founding member of the LPTW and theatre history pioneer, who founded the theatre on film archives at Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts, which have preserved generations of live theatre.

In the Spring, the LPTW celebrates the contributions of women to theatre with five awards: The Lifetime Achievement Award given to a woman who has made significant contributions to the industry; The Ruth Morley Design Award (initiated in 1998 in honor of costume designer Ruth Morley, one of the profession's leading designers for theatre and film who also served on the LPTW Board of Directors) given to a woman working in any field of design; the Josephine Abady Award (given in memory of Josephine R. Abady, a stage and artistic director, and leader of the nonprofit theatre movement in the United States) given to a woman theatre artist who has created work of cultural diversity; The Lee Reynolds Award (in memory of producer and League member Lee Reynolds) given to a women active in any aspect of theatre whose work through the medium of theatre has helped to illuminate the possibilities for social, cultural or political change; The LPTW Lucille Lortel Award (a grant funded by a bequest from the estate of Lucille Lortel) given to an aspiring woman in any discipline of theatre who is showing great creative promise and deserves recognition and encouragement. These awards honor emerging and established artists alike. Recent past recipients of these five awards include: Lileana Blain-Cruz; Linda Cho; Jane Cox; Lear deBessonet; Micki Grant; Carol Hall; Katherine Kovner; Ari Laura Kreith; Lisa Kron & Jeanine Tesori; Liesl Tommy; and Donyale Werle.

Tickets range from FREE to $300 (varies by event). For more information, visit www.TheatreWomen.org.

Chronological Season Schedule:

September

Thursday Sept 21 ON HER SHOULDERS (women writers neglected by the classic cannon reading series)

Tuesday Sept 26 MEMBERS' SEASON LAUNCH

Thursday Sept 28 JULIA'S READING ROOM (member project reading series)

October

10/15-10/23/17 GILDER COIGNEY INTERNATIONAL THEATRE AWARD EVENTS HONORING AND FEATURING THE WORK OF AWARDEE ADELHEID ROOSEN and other nominees:

Sunday Oct 15 3PM-7PM No Longer without You by Adelheid Roosen, and reception

Tuesday Oct 17 6PM-8:30PM G/C MAM SCREENING

Friday Oct 20 12PM-4PM G/C NOMINEE EVENT

Monday Oct 23 All Day Gilder/ Coigney Event- Co-Sponsored by the Martin E. Segal Theatre Center

10AM-4PM Live Interview, Curated Discussion, and Video Clips with Linda Chapman and Adelheid Roosen

6:30-8:30PM Awards Ceremony- Elebach Hall

9:00-11:00PM After Party Co-Sponsored by Punto Event Space

Thursday Oct 26 JULIA'S READING ROOM (member project reading series)

November

Monday Nov 6 ORAL HISTORY PROJECT Daryl Roth interviewed by Linda Winer

Wednesday Nov 8 SPECIAL LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT Betty Corwin LUNCHEON at Sardi's

Thursday Nov 30 JULIA'S READING ROOM (member project reading series)

December

Friday Dec 1 MEMBER HOLIDAY MIXER

Thursday Dec 14 ON HER SHOULDERS (women writers neglected by the classic cannon reading series)

January 2018

Monday Jan 29 THEATRE CONNECTIONS (Member Networking Event)

DCA HERITAGE OF WOMEN IN THEATRE HISTORY PANEL

February

Feb 5-10 WASHINGTON DC Women in Theatre Reception during the Women's Voices Theatre Festival TBD

Monday, Feb 12 ORAL HISTORY Guest and interviewer TBD

March

Thursday March 8 ON HER SHOULDERS (women writers neglected by the classic cannon reading series)

Friday March 16 tbc LPTW AWARDS CELEBRATION & BIG MINGLE

April

Saturday April 21 MEMBERS' ANNUAL MEETING

May

Monday May 7 ORAL HISTORY - Guest and interviewer TBD

June

Tuesday June 12 WOMEN STAGE THE WORLD EQUALITY PARADE & END of SEASON CELEBRATION

Thursday June 14 ON HER SHOULDERS (women writers neglected by the classic cannon reading series)

The League of Professional Theatre Women is a not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) organization which exists to champion women in theatre. For over 35 years, LPTW has been leading the gender parity conversation in professional theatre, offering programming, events, and advocacy initiatives which provide visibility and opportunities for women. Since its founding, the League's membership has grown to 500+ members of theatre artists and practitioners of all backgrounds, across multiple disciplines, working in the commercial and non-profit sectors. To promote visibility and increase opportunities for women in the field, LPTW spearheads events, public programming, advocacy projects, and media and publications that celebrate industry luminaries, preserve the legacy of historic visionaries, raise awareness of the importance of nurturing women's voices, and shine a spotlight on the importance of striving for gender parity and of fostering a diversity of expression, both in the theatre world and world at large. In 2015, the LPTW issued its Women Count Report, a study of the hiring of women Off-Broadway over the course of five seasons. The findings in this widely-acclaimed study led to the LPTW Seal of Approval initiative, which awards theatres in the off-Broadway community that have achieved 50/50 gender parity or better in their seasons. None of the LPTW's work is possible without generous philanthropic support to find out more, visit the website - www.theatrewomen.org - and click on the "Support Us" tab.

 

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