WP Theater (formerly known as Women's Project Theater) is a not-for-profit

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

theater based in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. It is the nation’s oldest and largest theater company dedicated to developing, producing and promoting the work of female-identified theater artists at every stage in their careers. Currently, Lisa McNulty serves as the Producing Artistic Director and Michael Sag serves as the Managing Director.

Background

WP Theater was founded in 1978 by Julia Miles to address the conspicuous underrepresentation of women artists working in the American theater. Miles was producing at

The American Place Theatre The American Place Theatre was founded in 1963 by Wynn Handman, Sidney Lanier, and Michael Tolan at St. Clement's Church, 423 West 46th Street in Hell's Kitchen, New York City, and was incorporated as a not-for-profit theatre in that year. Tennesse ...

, an Off-Broadway theater dedicated to producing new work by American writers. Miles began as Assistant Manager at The American Place Theatre in 1964 and advanced in the ranks to Associate Director. During this time, she noted the lack of plays written by women being produced by The American Place Theatre in comparison to those written by men. Under a grant from the

Ford Foundation The Ford Foundation is an American private foundation with the stated goal of advancing human welfare. Created in 1936 by Edsel Ford and his father Henry Ford, it was originally funded by a US$25,000 gift from Edsel Ford. By 1947, after the death ...

, Miles created The Women’s Project under the umbrella of The American Place Theatre to encourage the development of female playwrights and directors and to provide a forum for their work. For its first nine years, WP Theater staged its productions in the basement of The American Place Theatre. In 1987, the project left The American Place Theatre and became an independent organization, known today as WP Theater. In 1998, the project bought a church at 424 West 55th Street, also the site of Theater Four, which was named the Julia Miles Theater in 2004. WP Theater aims to empower artists who have historically been marginalized for their gender or gender expression to reach their full potential. The fundamental components of WP Theater are the Mainstage Season, the WP Lab and Pipeline Festival, and the annual Women of Achievement Awards gala. WP Theater artist alumni include

Billie Allen Billie Allen (January 13, 1925 – December 29, 2015) was an American actress, theater director, dancer and entertainer. Allen was one of the first black actors and performers to appear on television and stage in the United States, at a time when ...

Anne Bogart Anne Bogart (born September 25, 1951) is an American theatre and opera director. She is currently one of the Artistic Directors of SITI Company, which she founded with Japanese director Tadashi Suzuki in 1992. She is a professor at Columbia Univ ...

Pearl Cleage Pearl Cleage (December 7, 1948) (pronounced: “cleg”) is an African-American playwright, essayist, novelist, poet and political activist.Spratling, Cassandra. "Pearl Cleage's Storied Life Cover Story." Detroit Free Press, Feb 21, 2010. ProQue ...

Eve Ensler V, formerly Eve Ensler (; born May 25, 1953), is an American playwright, performer, feminist, and activist. V is best known for her play ''The Vagina Monologues''.

María Irene Fornés María Irene Fornés (May 14, 1930 – October 30, 2018) was a Cuban-American playwright, theater director, and teacher who worked in off-Broadway and experimental theater venues in the last four decades of the twentieth century. Her plays range ...

Pam MacKinnon Pam MacKinnon (born January 9, 1968) is an American theatre director. She has directed for the stage Off-Broadway, on Broadway and in regional theatre. She won the Obie Award for Directing and received a Tony Award nomination, Best Director, for ...

Dominique Morisseau Dominique Morisseau (born March 13, 1978) is an American playwright and actress from Detroit, Michigan. She has authored over nine plays, three of which are part of a cycle titled ''The Detroit Project.'' She was a recipient of the MacArthur Fell ...

Lynn Nottage Lynn Nottage (born November 2, 1964) is an American playwright whose work often focuses on the experience of working-class people, particularly working-class people who are Black. She has received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama twice: in 2009 for he ...

Joyce Carol Oates Joyce Carol Oates (born June 16, 1938) is an American writer. Oates published her first book in 1963, and has since published 58 novels, a number of plays and novellas, and many volumes of short stories, poetry, and non-fiction. Her novels '' Bla ...

Diane Paulus Diane Marie Paulus (born 1966) is an American theater and opera director who is currently the Terrie and Bradley Bloom Artistic Director of the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University.Colleen Walsh"Paulus reaches beyond boards" ''Harvar ...

Sarah Ruhl Sarah Ruhl (born January 24, 1974) is an American playwright, professor, and essayist. Among her most popular plays are ''Eurydice'' (2003), '' The Clean House'' (2004), and ''In the Next Room (or the Vibrator Play)'' (2009). She has been the rec ...

Anna Deavere Smith Anna Deavere Smith is an American actress, playwright, and professor. She is known for her roles as National Security Advisor Dr. Nancy McNally in ''The West Wing'' (2000–06), hospital administrator Gloria Akalitus in the Showtime series ''Nur ...

, and

Rebecca Taichman Rebecca Taichman is an American theatre director. In 2017, she received the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play for ''Indecent''. Life and career Taichman attended McGill University, Montreal, and graduated from the Yale School of Drama. She w ...

. Actors who have performed in WP Theater productions include

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...

winners and nominees

Michael Cerveris Michael Cerveris (born November 6, 1960) is an American actor, singer, and guitarist. He has performed in many stage musicals and plays, including several Stephen Sondheim musicals: ''Assassins'', ''Sweeney Todd'', '' Road Show'', and '' Passio ...

Kathleen Chalfant Kathleen Ann Chalfant (née Bishop; born January 14, 1945) is an American actress. She has appeared in many stage plays, both on Broadway and Off-Broadway, as well as making guest appearances on television series, including the ''Law & Order'' fr ...

Colleen Dewhurst Colleen Rose Dewhurst (3 June 1924 – 22 August 1991) was a Canadian-American actress mostly known for theatre roles. She was a renowned interpreter of the works of Eugene O'Neill on the stage, and her career also encompassed film, early drama ...

Tammy Grimes Tammy Lee Grimes (January 30, 1934 – October 30, 2016) was an American film and stage actress. Grimes won two Tony Awards in her career, the first for originating the role of Molly Tobin in the musical '' The Unsinkable Molly Brown'' and the ...

Cherry Jones Cherry Jones (born November 21, 1956) is an American actress known for her roles on screen and stage. She has received various accolades for her performances in television and theatre including three Primetime Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards, thr ...

Tonya Pinkins Tonya Pinkins (born May 30, 1962) is an American actress and filmmaker. Her award-winning debut feature film ''RED PILL'' was an official selection at the 2021 Pan African Film Festival, won the Best Black Lives Matter Feature and Best First Fea ...

Daphne Rubin-Vega Daphne Rubin-Vega ( Vega; born November 18, 1969) is a Panamanian-American actress, dancer, and singer-songwriter. She is best known for originating the roles of Mimi Marquez in the Broadway musical ''Rent'' and Lucy in the Off-Broadway play ''J ...

Thomas Sadoski Thomas Christian Sadoski (born July 1, 1976) is an American stage, film, and television actor. He is best known for his roles as Don Keefer in the HBO series '' The Newsroom'' and as Matt Short in the sitcom television series ''Life in Pieces''. ...

, and

Frances Sternhagen Frances Hussey Sternhagen (born January 13, 1930) is an American actress; she has appeared on- and off-Broadway, in movies, and on TV since the 1950s.Joy, Car"Frances Sternhagen in Talks to Join Company of Broadway Magnolias" Broadway.com, Nov ...

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

winners and nominees

Linda Hunt Lydia Susanna "Linda" Hunt (born April 2, 1945) is an American actress of stage and screen. She made her film debut playing Mrs. Oxheart in ''Popeye'' (1980). Hunt portrayed the male character Billy Kwan in '' The Year of Living Dangerously'' ...

Kim Hunter Kim Hunter (born Janet Cole; November 11, 1922 – September 11, 2002) was an American theatre, film, and television actress. She achieved prominence for portraying Stella Kowalski in the original production of Tennessee Williams' ''A Streetcar N ...

, and

Mary McDonnell Mary Eileen McDonnell (born April 28, 1952) is an American film, stage, and television actress. She received Academy Award nominations for her roles as Stands With A Fist in ''Dances with Wolves'' and May-Alice Culhane in ''Passion Fish''. McD ...

, and

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

winners and nominees

Ruby Dee Ruby Dee (October 27, 1922 – June 11, 2014) was an American actress, poet, playwright, screenwriter, journalist, and civil rights activist. She originated the role of "Ruth Younger" in the stage and film versions of ''A Raisin in the Sun'' (19 ...

America Ferrera America Georgina Ferrera (; born April 18, 1984) is an American actress. Born in Los Angeles to Honduran parents, Ferrera developed an interest in acting at a young age, performing in several stage productions at her school. She made her featur ...

Sarah Jessica Parker Sarah Jessica Parker (born March 25, 1965) is an American actress and television producer. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including six Golden Globe Awards and two Primetime Emmy Awards. ''Time'' magazine named her one of the 1 ...

Jimmy Smits Jimmy L. Smits (born July 9, 1955) is an American actor. He is best known for playing attorney Victor Sifuentes on the 1980s-1990s legal drama ''L.A. Law'', NYPD Detective Bobby Simone on the 1990s-2000s police drama '' NYPD Blue'', Matt Santos ...

, and John Spencer. Other actors who have performed in WP Theater productions include

Adrienne C. Moore Adrienne C. Moore is an American actress. She is known for her role as Cindy "Black Cindy" Hayes in the Netflix comedy-drama series ''Orange Is the New Black'' (2013–2019). Life and career Moore was born in Nashville, Tennessee, and grew up in ...

Pedro Pascal José Pedro Balmaceda Pascal (born 2 April 1975) is a Chilean and American actor. He began his career guest-starring on various television shows before rising to prominence for portraying Oberyn Martell on the fourth season of the HBO fantasy ...

, and

Tracie Thoms Tracie Nicole Thoms is an Emmy-nominated American television, film, and stage actress and singer. She is known for her roles in ''Rent'', ''Cold Case'', '' The Devil Wears Prada'', ''Death Proof'', and the short-lived Fox television series ''Won ...

. Alumni of the WP Lab include

JoAnne Akalaitis JoAnne Akalaitis (born June 29, 1937, in Cicero, Illinois) is an avant-garde Lithuanian-American theatre director and writer. She won five Obie Awards for direction (and sustained achievement) and was founder in 1970 of the critically acclaimed M ...

, Tea Alagić,

Rachel Chavkin Rachel Chavkin (; born July 20, 1980) is an American stage director best known for directing the musicals '' Natasha, Pierre, & The Great Comet of 1812'' and ''Hadestown,'' receiving nominations for a Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical f ...

, Quíara Alegria Hudes, and

Anne Kauffman Anne Kauffman is an American director known primarily for her work on new plays, mainly in the New York area. She is a founding member of the theater group the Civilians.Grode, Eric"Meet the Directors"''New York Times'', January 31, 2013 Early lif ...

. Many Lab alumni have served as Artistic Directors at other theater companies, including Akalaitis (

New York Shakespeare Festival Shakespeare in the Park (or Free Shakespeare in the Park) is a theatrical program that stages productions of Shakespearean plays at the Delacorte Theater, an open-air theater in New York City's Central Park. The theater and the productions are ...

and the

Public Theater The Public Theater is a New York City arts organization founded as the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954 by Joseph Papp, with the intention of showcasing the works of up-and-coming playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: An American Li ...

), Emily Mann (

McCarter Theatre McCarter Theatre Center is a not-for-profit, professional company on the campus of Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey. The institution is currently led by Artistic Director Sarah Rasmussen and Managing Director Michael S. Rosenberg. ...

), and

Carey Perloff Carey Elizabeth Perloff (born February 9, 1959) is an American theater director, playwright, author, and educator. She was the artistic director of American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) in San Francisco from 1992 to June 2018. Biography Per ...

( A.C.T.). WP Theater founder Julia Miles died March 18, 2020.

Productions

Since 1978, WP Theater has produced more than 600 Off-Broadway plays and developmental projects and has partnered with a number of other New York theater companies for co-productions, including

Playwrights Horizons Playwrights Horizons is a not-for-profit Off-Broadway theater located in New York City dedicated to the support and development of contemporary American playwrights, composers, and lyricists, and to the production of their new work. Under the ...

and

The New Group The New Group, is a New York City Off-Broadway theatrical troupe founded by Artistic Director Scott Elliott, that produced its first play, Mike Leigh's '' Ecstasy'', in 1995. The New Group is run by founding Artistic Director, Scott Elliott, an ...

. Often, WP Theater produces plays that are New York premieres or world premieres. These include ''Bright Half Life'' written by

Tanya Barfield Tanya Barfield is an American playwright whose works have been presented both nationally and internationally.DeVoti, Emily"Blue Door: Painting within the lines of history with Tanya Barfield"brooklynrail.org, October 2006, Accessed 13 September 2 ...

and directed by

Leigh Silverman Leigh Silverman is an American director for the stage, both off-Broadway and on Broadway theatre, Broadway. She was nominated for the 2014 Tony Award, Best Direction of a Musical for the musical ''Violet (musical), Violet'' and the 2008 Drama Desk ...

, ''Stuffed'' by

Lisa Lampanelli Lisa Lampanelli (born Lisa Marie Lampugnale; July 19, 1961) is an American former stand-up comedian, actress and insult comic. Early life and journalism career Lampanelli was born in Trumbull, Connecticut, to a middle-class family. Three of her ...

, ''Or,'' by

Liz Duffy Adams Liz Duffy Adams is an American playwright who has written many plays including ''Born With Teeth''; ''Or,''; ''Dog Act''; ''The Salonnieres''; ''A Discourse on the Wonders of the Invisible World''; ''The Broken Machine'', and others. Her play '' ...

, and

Virginia Woolf Adeline Virginia Woolf (; ; 25 January 1882 28 March 1941) was an English writer, considered one of the most important modernist 20th-century authors and a pioneer in the use of stream of consciousness as a narrative device. Woolf was born i ...

's only play, ''Freshwater'', directed by Anne Bogart. WP Theater's first production was ''Choices'', a one-woman show that was adapted from the works of

Colette Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (; 28 January 1873 – 3 August 1954), known mononymously as Colette, was a French author and woman of letters. She was also a mime, actress, and journalist. Colette is best known in the English-speaking world for her ...

, Virginia Woolf,

Dorothy Parker Dorothy Parker (née Rothschild; August 22, 1893 – June 7, 1967) was an American poet, writer, critic, and satirist based in New York; she was known for her wit, wisecracks, and eye for 20th-century urban foibles. From a conflicted and unhap ...

Gertrude Stein Gertrude Stein (February 3, 1874 – July 27, 1946) was an American novelist, poet, playwright, and art collector. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the Allegheny West neighborhood and raised in Oakland, California, Stein moved to Paris ...

Sylvia Plath Sylvia Plath (; October 27, 1932 – February 11, 1963) was an American poet, novelist, and short story writer. She is credited with advancing the genre of confessional poetry and is best known for two of her published collections, ''The ...

Adrienne Rich Adrienne Cecile Rich ( ; May 16, 1929 – March 27, 2012) was an American poet, essayist and feminist. She was called "one of the most widely read and influential poets of the second half of the 20th century", and was credited with bringing "th ...

, and

Joan Didion Joan Didion (; December 5, 1934 – December 23, 2021) was an American writer. Along with Tom Wolfe, Hunter S. Thompson and Gay Talese, she is considered one of the pioneers of New Journalism. Didion's career began in the 1950s after she won an ...

, amongst others. It was conceived by writer

Patricia Bosworth Patricia Bosworth (née Crum, April 24, 1933 – April 2, 2020) was an American journalist and biographer, memoirist, and actress. She was a faculty member of Columbia University’s school of journalism as well as Barnard College, and was a win ...

and adapted by Bosworth, director Caymichael Patten, and actress

Lily Lodge Lily Lodge (April 12, 1930 – August 7, 2021) was an American actress, acting coach and etiquette consultant. She was the co-founder of Actors Conservatory in New York City and worked with actors such as Alec Baldwin and Brooke Shields. Per ...

. ''Choices'' ran from November 30 to December 17, 1978, in the American Place Theatre basement. Julia Miles said the production "explores the choices that women have. Hopefully, there are now more of those choices and women are more definite about what they are." After the production opened,

Mel Gussow Melvyn Hayes "Mel" Gussow (; December 19, 1933 – April 29, 2005) was an American theater critic, movie critic, and author who wrote for ''The New York Times'' for 35 years. Biography Gussow was born in New York City and grew up in Rockville ...

of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' wrote, "'' Choices'' serves as a brief introduction to the artistic energy of literary women. Given the variety of versatile people who are engaged in the 'Women's Project', we look forward to the plays, playwrights, and directors that should emerge from the American Place." In 1981, WP Theater produced ''Still Life'', a documentary-style play about the aftermath of the Vietnam War written and directed by Emily Mann. The production featured Mary McDonnell, Timothy Near, and John Spencer and earned four

Obie Award The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards originally given by ''The Village Voice'' newspaper to theatre artists and groups in New York City. In September 2014, the awards were jointly presented and administered with the A ...

s, including the award for Best Production. One of WP Theater’s most heralded productions is ''A...My Name is Alice'', a

revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own duri ...

of songs and sketches conceived and directed by

Julianne Boyd Julianne Boyd is an American theatre director and was the Founding Artistic Director of the Barrington Stage Company of Pittsfield, Massachusetts. She retired in 2022. Education Boyd received a B.A. in Theater and Education from Beaver College ( ...

and

Joan Micklin Silver Joan Micklin Silver (May 24, 1935 – December 31, 2020) was an American director of films and plays. Born in Omaha, Silver moved to New York City in 1967 where she began writing and directing films. She is best known for ''Hester Street'' (197 ...

. The production earned the

Outer Critics Circle Award The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on Broadway and Off-Broadway. They are presented by the Outer Critics Circle (OCC), the official organization of New York theater writers for out-of-town newspa ...

for Best Revue in the 1983/84 season and featured songs and scenes penned by Cassandra Medley,

Winnie Holzman Winnie Holzman (born August 18, 1954 in Manhattan) is an American dramatist, screenwriter, and poet. She is known for having created the ABC television series ''My So-Called Life'', which led to a nomination for a scriptwriting Emmy Award in 1995, ...

Marta Kauffman Marta Fran Kauffman (born September 21, 1956) is an American television writer and producer. She is best known as the co-creator of the NBC sitcom ''Friends'' with her longtime friend, David Crane. Both Kauffman and Crane were also executive pr ...

Anne Meara Anne Meara Stiller (September 20, 1929 – May 23, 2015) was an American actress and comedian. Along with her husband Jerry Stiller, she was one-half of the prominent 1960s comedy team Stiller and Meara. Their son is actor, director, and producer ...

, and others. WP Theater has worked closely with Cuban-American playwright,

, since its inception. Fornés, a

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made h ...

nominee and nine-time Obie Award winner, is known for her avant-garde and experimental plays. WP Theater has produced three Fornés plays, including ''Abingdon Square'', which earned the 1988 Obie for Best New American Play.

The Lab

The Lab is a two-year residency for female-identified playwrights, directors, and producers. Members of the Lab are selected through a highly competitive application and interview process. The Lab provides its members with a vital professional network, entrepreneurial and leadership training, rehearsal space, and opportunities for the development and production of bold new work for the stage. The Lab began as the Directors Forum, created in 1983. In 1992, WP added the Playwrights Lab. The Producers Lab was added in 2006 to enhance the collaborative nature of the residency. The Lab has two main goals: to cultivate the work of the participating artists and to give them the tools they need to succeed in the industry. In addition to developing their own unique work, Lab artists collaboratively create a culminating residency production. Since 2016, Lab members’ work has been showcased at the biennial Pipeline Festival. For the month-long Pipeline Festival, groups of three—one writer, one director, and one producer—come together to collaborate on a piece. Prior to 2016, Lab members would devise new work, showcased in a production at the end of the residency term. These productions include ''The Architecture of Becoming'' (2014), ''We Play for the Gods'' (2012), ''Global Cooling: The Women Chill'' (2009), ''Corporate Carnival'' (2008), and ''Girls Just Wanna Have Fund$'' (2007). Prior to 2004, the Lab did not function on a two-year rotation. Under the auspices of WP Theater, the 2008/2010 Lab Playwrights published ''Out of Time and Place'', a two-volume anthology of plays, including contributions from 11 Lab playwrights and an introduction by

Theresa Rebeck Theresa Rebeck (born February 19, 1958) is an American playwright, television writer, and novelist. Her work has appeared on the Broadway and Off-Broadway stage, in film, and on television. Among her awards are the Mystery Writers of America's E ...

. Many Lab artists continue to work together long after their official residency ends, and WP Theater continues to advocate for its Lab alumnae by brokering agents, providing references, and submitting their work to theaters around the country. WP Theater also hires many Lab artists for main stage productions.

WP Lab alumnae

Playwrights Lab members 1992–2004

Janet Allard Janet Allard is an American playwright and theatre educator. Allard was born and raised in Hawaii. She currently teaches in the Theatre Department at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Allard's plays have been produced at The Guthrie ...

*Taylor Barton *

Neena Beber Neena Beber is an American writer of plays and television screenplays. She is also a television producer. Beber wrote the sixth episode of the TBS comedy '' The Detour''. Her short (10-minute) play ''Misreadings'' was included in ''Best Americ ...

*Tish Benson *Chantal Bilodeau *Kitty Chen * Paula Cizmar *Cynthia L. Cooper (Cindy) *Cheryl L. Davis *Margie Duffield *Linda Faigao-Hall * Catherine Filloux *Daisy Foote * Juliana Francis *Aimee Gallin *Barbara Goldman *Dana Leslie Goldstein *Daphne Greaves *Monika Gross *Susan Eve Haar *Lisa Humbertson *Michael angel Johnson *Jake-Ann Jones *Mona Koppelman *

Carson Kreitzer Carson Kreitzer is an American playwright currently based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She graduated magna cum laude from Yale University in 1991 with a B.A. in theatre and literature and an M.F.A. from the Michener Center for Writers at the Univer ...

*Michele Aldin Kushner *Margaret Lamb *Ji Hyun Lee *Stephanie Lehmann *Lucy Lehrer *Andrea Lepcio *Patricia Lin *Jessica Litwak *Nancy Lubet *Carol Mack *Julie McKee *Cassandra Medley *Kim Merrill *Lyssa Miller *Rachelle Minkoff *Debbie Mitchell * Chiori Miyagawa *Lesli-Jo Morizono *Laura Quinn *Elizabeth Scales Rheinfrank * Carmen Rivera *

Kate Robin Kate Robin is an American playwright, television writer and producer, and screenwriter. She is currently the showrunner of '' One Mississippi'' created by and starring Tig Notaro on Amazon. Career Robin's recent theater productions include: '' ...

Alva Rogers Alva Rogers (born 1959) is an American playwright, composer, actor, vocalist, and arts educator. She is known for the use of dolls and puppetry in interdisciplinary work. Rogers performed in the role of Eula Peazant in Julie Dash's 1991 film ''Da ...

*Sharyn Rothstein *

Gail Sheehy Gail Sheehy (born Gail Henion; November 27, 1936 – August 24, 2020) was an American author, journalist, and lecturer. She was the author of seventeen books and numerous high-profile articles for magazines such as ''New York'' and ''Vanity ...

* Jane Shepard *Marina Shron *Lynda Sturner *Judy Tate *Tracy Thorne *Alexandra Tolk *

Sheri Wilner Sheri Wilner (born January 22, 1969) is an American playwright. Her works have been produced at the Humana Festival of New American Plays, the Guthrie Theater, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Primary Stages Einhorn School of Performing Arts (ESPA ...

*Beth Windsor

Directors Lab/Directors Forum members 1983–2004

*Joyce Aaron *

Josephine Abady Josephine R. "Josie" Abady (August 21, 1949 – May 25, 2002) was an American stage director, film director, and producer. Early life and education Abady was born in New York. Her mother Nina Abady (née Friedman) was a civil rights activist and ...

*Merry Alderman *

*Marcella Andre *

Cecelia Antoinette Cecelia Antoinette Bruton (November 24, 1949 – May 28, 2020), known professionally as Cecelia Antoinette or CeCe Antoinette, was an American actress, comedian, and writer. Early life Cecelia Antoinette Bruton was born a twin in Dallas, in 1 ...

*Marcy Arlin *Alexandra Aron *Linda Atkinson *Julie Fei-Fan Balzer *

Mirra Bank Mirra Bank is a director of film, television, and theater. She is a member of the Documentary Branch of the Academy of Motion Pictures. Her documentary, “Last Dance,” was short-listed for an Academy Award. Variety called Bank's documentary, "T ...

*Lisa Barnes *Sue Batchelor *Jessica Bauman *Meghan Beals *Alma Becker *Suzanne Bennett *

Melia Bensussen Melia Bensussen (born September 18, 1962) is an American theatre director and producer who has been artistic director of the Hartford Stage since 2019. She won an OBIE Award for Outstanding Direction for ''Turn of the Screw'' in 1999 and is Pro ...

*Jackie Berger *Randee Mia Berman *Hilary Blecher *Donna Tomas Bond *Robin Bowers *

*Veronica Brady *Yanna Kroyt Brandt *Celia Braxton *Margot Brier *Brooke Brod *Page Burkholder *Carolyn Cantor *Juliette Carrillo *

Laurie Carlos Laurie Dorothea Carlos (née Smith; January 25, 1949 – December 29, 2016) was an American actress and avant-garde performance artist, playwright and theater director. She was also known for her work mentoring emerging artists in the theater. ...

*Kay Carney *

Lenora Champagne Lenora Champagne is an American playwright and performing artist. Early years As a child, Champagne wanted to be a doctor. She moved from Louisiana to New York City in the early 1970s expecting to be a painter, but took up performance art instea ...

*Allyn Chandler *

Tisa Chang Tisa Chang (born April 5, 1941) is a Chinese-American actress and theatre director born in Chongqing. Her father, Ping-Hsun Chang, was a diplomat, and her family moved from China to New York City when she was a child. Chang was interested in thea ...

*Linda Chapman *Linda Cholodenko *Nancy S. Chu *

Marya Cohn Marya Cohn is an American screenwriter and director. Biography In 1994, Cohn directed the student short film '' Developing''. The film starred a then unknown Natalie Portman in her first film role. In 2013, Cohn began filming her feature film de ...

*Michelle Coleman *Beatriz Cordoba *Lee Costello *Sarah Davie *Diane L. Dawson *Lenore DeKoven *Heather de Michele *Peg Denithorne *Judy Dennis *Liz Diamond *Toni Dorfman *

Annie Dorsen Annie Dorsen (born 1973) is a New York theater director. She is the co-creator and director of the Broadway musical ''Passing Strange'', and her work in "algorithmic theater" includes the plays ''Hello Hi There'', ''A Piece of Work'', and ''Yeste ...

*Imani Douglas *Anne D'Zmura *Mary Beth Easley *April-Dawn Gladu *Carol Goodheart *Andra Gordon *Jennifer Uphoff Gray *Monika Gross *

Robin Guarino Robin Guarino (born April 3, 1960) is an opera and film director. She has directed operas such as ''The Marriage of Figaro'', ''Don Giovanni'', ''Lohengrin'', ''Così fan tutte'', and ''The Magic Flute'' at the Metropolitan Opera. She has directed ...

*Denise Hamilton *Dana Iris Harrel *Ludovica Villar Hausar *

Yvette Hawkins Yvette Hawkins (September 28, 1940 – April 10, 1995) was an American actress on Broadway, on television, and in films. Early life Yvette Hawkins was born in New York City. Career Earlier in her career, Hawkins was a member of the New Lafayette ...

*Rosemary Hay *Catherine M. Head *Elizabeth A. Herron *Amy Holston *Beth Howard *Lisa Jackson *Meachie Jones *Melanie Joseph *Zoya Kachadurian *Mia Katigbak *Sonoko Kawahara *Anne Kauffman *Rasa Allan Kazlas *Francoise Kourilsky *Rachel Kranz *Ari Laura Kreith *Kati Kuroda *Mahayana Landowne *Renee LaTulippe *Sue Lawless *Susan Leaming *Sondra Lee *Karen Lordi *Kathryn Long * Karen Ludwig *Jill Mackavey *

* Emily Mann *Jamie Marcu *Elysa Marden *Marya Mazor *Tricia McDermott *Kate Mennone *

Maria Mileaf Maria Mileaf (born in New York City) is an American theater director. She grew up in Highland Park, New Jersey. Mileaf received a BA in literature from Yale College and received an MFA in directing from University of California, San Diego in 199 ...

*Mary Louise Miller *Vernice P. Miller *Kym Moore *Isis Saratial Misdary *Kathryn Moroney *Ariel Julia Nazarian *Timothy Near *Renfreu Neff *Deborah Nitzberg *Gail Noppe-Brandon *

Elisabeth Omilami Elisabeth Williams-Omilami (born February 18, 1951) is an American human rights activist and an actress. Life and career Born in Atlanta, Williams-Omilami is the daughter of activist Hosea Williams and Georgia State Representative Juanita T. W ...

Sharon Ott Sharon Langston Ott (20th century) is a director, producer and educator who worked in regional theaters and opera throughout the United States. Two plays she directed, ''A Fierce Longing'' and Amlin Gray's ''How I Got That Story,'' each won an O ...

*Sheila Page *Shirley Parkinson *Passion *Rebecca Patterson *

*Livia Perez *Victoria Pero *Lisa Peterson *Renee Philippi *Lynn Polan *Joanne Pottlitzer *Kate Powers *June Pyskacek *Shelly Raffle *Lisandra Maria Ramos *Elinor Renfield *Nancy Rhodes *Joumana Rizk *Mary Robinson *Nancy Rogers *Barbara Rosoff *Bevya Rosten *June Rovenger *Susan Rowlands *Barbara Rubin *Deborah Saivetz *Eva Saks *Nancy Salomon *Amy Saltz *Kristen Sanderson *Elyse Singer *Lynne Singer *

*Elaine Smith *Shelley Souza *Hilary Spector *Maurya Swanson *Judy Stewart *Shilarna Stokes *Alison Summers * Sarah Cameron Sunde *Melanie Sutherland *Carol Tanzman *

Lynne Taylor-Corbett Lynne Taylor-Corbett is a choreographer, director, lyricist, and composer. She was born in Denver, Colorado. Life Lynne Taylor-Corbett grew up in the Denver, Colorado area, gaining her first exposure to dance through her mother, a pianist for ball ...

*Beatrice Terry *Joan Vail Thorne *Laura Tichler *

Virlana Tkacz Virlana Tkacz (born June 23, 1952, in Newark, New Jersey) is the founding director of the Yara Arts Group, a resident company at the world-renowned La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in New York. She was educated at Bennington College and Columbi ...

*Susana Tubert *Ching Valdez-Aran *Valeria Vasilevski *Jean Wagner * Marianne Weems *

Claudia Weill Claudia Weill is an American film director best known for her film '' Girlfriends'' (1978), starring Melanie Mayron, Christopher Guest, Bob Balaban and Eli Wallach, made independently and sold to Warner Brothers after multiple awards at Cannes, ...

*Adrienne Weiss *Iona Weissberg *Helen White *Melanie White *B.J. Whiting *Julia Whitworth *Maurya Wickstrom *Rachel Wineberg *Bryna Wortman *Evan Yiounoulis *Gloria Zelaya *Alison Eve Zell

Women of Achievement Awards

Each year, WP Theater recognizes the extraordinary accomplishments of women from the worlds of entertainment, business, and philanthropy at the Women of Achievement Awards Gala. Since 1986, WP Theater has paid homage to dozens of women who have taken risks, pushed limits, and broken ground in a variety of fields. The event is typically emceed by a female celebrity, with a variety of performances and appearances by other artists. Past recipients of the Women of Achievement Award include

Maya Angelou Maya Angelou ( ; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, popular poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and ...

Katie Couric Katherine Anne Couric ( ; born January 7, 1957) is an American journalist and presenter. She is founder of Katie Couric Media, a multimedia news and production company. She also publishes a daily newsletter, ''Wake Up Call''. From 2013 to 2017, ...

Whoopi Goldberg Caryn Elaine Johnson (born November 13, 1955), known professionally as Whoopi Goldberg (), is an American actor, comedian, author, and television personality.Kuchwara, Michael (AP Drama Writer)"Whoopi Goldberg: A One-Woman Character Parade". ' ...

Billie Jean King Billie Jean King (née Moffitt; born November 22, 1943) is an American former world No. 1 tennis player. King won 39 major titles: 12 in singles, 16 in women's doubles, and 11 in mixed doubles. King was a member of the victorious United States ...

Chita Rivera Chita Rivera (born Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero Anderson; January 23, 1933), is an American actress, singer and dancer best known for originating roles in Broadway musicals including Anita in ''West Side Story'', Velma Kelly in ''Chica ...

, and

Gloria Steinem Gloria Marie Steinem (; born March 25, 1934) is an American journalist and social-political activist who emerged as a nationally recognized leader of second-wave feminism Second-wave feminism was a period of feminist activity that began in ...

Women of Achievement Award recipients

Full production history

References

External links

Official website

WP Theater Records
at the

Sophia Smith Collection The Sophia Smith Collection at Smith College is an internationally recognized repository of manuscripts, photographs, periodicals and other primary sources in women's history. General One of the largest recognized repositories of manuscripts, ar ...

, Smith College Special Collections {{Off-Broadway theatres Non-profit organizations based in New York City Arts organizations established in 1978 Theatre companies in New York City 1978 establishments in New York City Off-Broadway Women in theatre Women in New York City