Shakespeare & Company Presents Select Works from Women+ On The Edge of Democracy

Sunday, November 1 at 5 pm in Studio 3 of the Elayne P. Bernstein Performing Arts Center

A groundbreaking initiative encouraging conversation about American democracy initiated by the Flynn Center (Jay Wahl, Executive Director) in Vermont and The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize (Leslie Swackhamer, Executive Director), Women+ on the Edge of Democracy sets out to form a collective portrait of a nation in doubt and transformation–seen through the eyes of women+ playwrights from around the world who have long chronicled America’s contradictions and dreams.

Shakespeare & Company will present nine readings of 10-minute plays, selected from Women+ On The Edge Of Democracy anthology of 34 woman-identifying playwrights. The titles were chosen by a committee of Company Artists and will be presented in two acts with talkbacks at the end of each act:

Things I Worry About by Bridget Carpenter

Churn by Justice Hehir

Pecking Order by Elizabeth Diggs

Attestation by Lynn Nottage

An Uplifting High School Graduation Speech by Sarah Ruhl

The Betsy Ross Book of the Dead by Paula Cizmar

Searching for Elsie Parrish by Heidi Schreck

Common Ground by Lauren M. Gunderson

After the readings, patrons will be invited to share their thoughts by completing the sentence “As a ________________, America makes me feel ______________________,” and posting their answers on a wall display.

This is a free, ticketed event open to the public. For more information, visit shakespeare.org or call the Box Office at 413.637.3353

Image caption: Original artwork created by Paula Scher/Pentagram