National Women's Theatre Festival To Present 8th Annual Festival This Summer

The National Women's Theatre Festival, the nation's largest symposium on gender and theatre, will present their 8th annual festival, June 21-July 1, 2023 at the North Carolina State University's Frank Thompson Hall (2241 Dunn Ave, Raleigh, NC 27606). Most programming will also be available via virtual livestream to participants anywhere in the world. Each year the festival celebrates gender parity and all things theatre with performances, workshops, community conversations, and other events that center women and underrepresented gender artists. Tickets ($65-$325) for in-person and online events are available at www.womenstheatrefestival.com. The full schedule of performances and workshops will be announced in April.

"This year's line-up promises to be a thrilling blend of award-winning national and global artists as well as some of the most celebrated women and underrepresented gender artists in the Raleigh area," said Executive Artistic Director, Johannah Maynard Edwards.

Programming for the 2023 festival will include:

WTFringe, a performance festival of 10-14 experimental, innovative, and collaborative works that push boundaries and embrace parity. Pieces are curated by a selection committee and chosen from our nationwide pool, which received 56 submissions this year. Each individual piece will run between 20 and 90 minutes long, with no intermission. The festival will also feature 5 projects from the WTFringeLab, WTF's signature training program for emerging directors and producers from all around the nation.

June 22 & 23 7pm on; all day June 24, 25, 29, 30, & July 1

WTFCon, an annual educational conference where the performing arts community can connect and learn from and with each other, advocate for their needs and the needs they see around them, deeply, intentionally, and thoughtfully explore their work, and surround themselves with others who champion gender parity and equity in their field. More than a conference, WTFCon is a revitalizing self-enrichment experience for theatre artists and academics: an experience that involves humanity, belonging, and a shared sense of purpose, with opportunities to instigate and incubate. WTFCon23 will feature 3 Keynote artists who have opened some major doors into the industry, ready to share their experiences with attendees. Expect opportunities to train with industry leaders in performance, storytelling, improv, playwriting, directing, intimacy, arts leadership, and much more! June 21-23 9am-7pm

WTFamily, programming that supports caregiver artists and attendees with high-quality childcare and arts enrichment activities, allowing parents to focus on participating in or attending Fringe and Con events. WTFamily will include a nursery program for infants and toddlers as well as a devising camp for kids ages 4-12 courtesy of partners Seed Art Share and PAAL, that will relate to the theme of "Opening Doors". These programs will be available to all presenters and attendees at WTFCon23!

Accessibility WTF is committed to providing the most accessible and inclusive experience to all patrons and artists. Patrons with access needs are invited to email hannah@womenstheatrefestival.com to request an accommodation. More detailed information on the wide range of access services and programs will be forthcoming. Festival 2023 Access Services include: Open Captioning for all WTFringe 23 performances and live transcription for all WTFCon23 sessions, ASL Interpretation for select performances and WTFCon23 sessions, Audio Description for select performances, and Sensory Friendly break spaces and Sensory Kits available to all patrons.

The mission of the National Women's Theatre Festival is to create, produce, and promote extraordinary theatre by women and artists of all underrepresented genders with the ultimate goal of 100% parity in the US theatre industry. They gather artists from North Carolina and across the nation at their annual events, helping to create a pipeline of extraordinary talent that will revolutionize theatre as we know it. Since its founding in 2016, the National Women's Theatre Festival (WTF) has produced 23 mainstage theatrical productions, 64 Fringe-style shows, and over 125 staged readings, and hosted over 250 workshops and panels. Their signature event is an annual summer festival of plays, workshops, and all things theatre. In 2023-2024 National WTF will mount its first mainstage season in three years, featuring 3 fully staged plays, performed in Raleigh, NC. WTF creates opportunities for underrepresented gender theatre makers to develop and practice skills in a supportive and creative environment, and to have their talents recognized. www.womenstheatrefestival.com

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