365 WOMEN A YEAR: A PLAYWRITING PROJECT
365 WOMEN A YEAR: A PLAYWRITING PROJECT involves hundreds of women who have written one-act plays about extraordinary women from both the past and present. The project's goal is to write women back into the social consciousness. This year's 365 WOMEN A YEAR event invites us to enter the worlds of 1800's Sahara Desert, refugee-laden 1930's Paris, mental illness and an often attacked tearoom in the early 20th century on MacDougal Street. These and other diverse stories showcase the talents of Kendra Augustin, Karin Diann Williams, Robin Rice, Susan Shafer, D. Lee Miller, Michael angel Johnson, Barbara Kahn and Kat Mustatea. All the plays are written and directed by women. The evening of readings will take place on March 23rd, at the Theater for the New City, Cino Theater, 155 1st Avenue at 10th Street. (By subway: L to 1st Avenue; 6 to Astor Place.) The readings are free, but reservations are highly suggested. www.mustatea.com/365-women.
365 WOMEN A YEAR's evening explores:
· The patron saints of mental illness: Christina the Astonishing, Saint Dymphna, and Jacques de Viltry;
· The life of 19th century Dutch explorer Alexine Tinne adventuring on camels across the Sahara;
· Three Dominican Nuns: Sisters Jane Mooney, Mary McGee and Wilhelmina Heintz jailed for their pacifist activism;
· The faceoff between choreographer Agnes de Mille and her Uncle, Cecil B., as they discuss the film CLEOPATRA;
· Gerda Taro and Robert Capa as they invent their lasting personas;
· Nancy Elizabeth Prophet becoming the first woman of African-American and Native American descent to graduate from the Rhode Island School of Design;
· Eve Adams, a Polish, Jewish lesbian, as she fights for her tearoom on MacDougal Street;
· And the autobiography of Martine Rothblatt, entrepreneur, technologist and transgender woman (also the highest paid US CEO in 2014) as performed by her four children and a robot.
This year's writers are recipients of numerous awards and recognitions. Collectively, their plays have been produced in the United States, London, Berlin and Oslo. In addition, their works can be found in such publications as Broadway Play Publishing, Original Works Publishing and Youth Play and Indie Plays. Note that there are other 365 WOMEN A YEAR NYC groups. Be on the lookout for them!
365 WOMEN A YEAR was founded by Jess Eisenberg and Gina Scanlon. This international playwriting project involves over 200 playwrights who have signed on to write plays about extraordinary women in both past and present history. For more info, visit 365womenayear@wordpress.com
For tickets, please visit www.mustatea.com/365-women