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 (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. It is the nation's oldest and largest theater company dedicated to developing, producing and promoting the work of Women+ theater artists of all kinds at every stage in their careers. 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 under representation 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. Tenness ...

, an Off-Broadway theater dedicated to produce new work by American writers. Miles began as a Producer and Assistant Director at The American Place Theater 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 Theater in comparison to those written by men- at the time, only 6% of all work onstage was written by a women. 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 $25,000 (about $550,000 in 2023) gift from Edsel Ford. ...

, Miles created The Women's Project under the umbrella of The American Place Theater 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 Theater. In 1987, the project left The American Place Theater 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 Main stage Season, the WP Lab and Pipeline Festival,The Space Program, the Pages to Stages Collaboration with viBe Theater Experience, 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 Uni ...

Pearl Cleage Pearl Cleage ( ; born December 7, 1948) 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. ProQuest. Originally pu ...

Eve Ensler V, formerly Eve Ensler (; born May 25, 1953), is an American playwright, author, 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 w ...

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

, Martyna Majok, Alexis Scheer, Danya Taymor

Dominique Morisseau Dominique Morisseau (born March 13, 1978) is an American playwright and actress from Detroit, Michigan. She has written more than nine plays, three of which are part of a cycle titled ''The Detroit Project.'' She received a MacArthur Fellowship ( ...

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 nonfiction. Her novels ''Black ...

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, poet, 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 ...

Anna Deavere Smith Anna Deavere Smith (born September 18, 1950) 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 i ...

, 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. Sh ...

. Actors who have performed in WP Theater productions include

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

winners and nominees

Michael Cerveris Michael Cerveris Jr. (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 (musical), Assassins'', ''Sweeney Todd: The ...

Kathleen Chalfant Kathleen Ann Chalfant (née Bishop) 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'' franchise. Early life C ...

Colleen Dewhurst Colleen Rose Dewhurst (June 3, 1924 – August 22, 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 dra ...

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

Cherry Jones Cherry Jones (born November 21, 1956) is an American actress. She started her career in theater as a founding member of the American Repertory Theater in 1980 before transitioning into film and television. Celebrated for her dynamic roles on st ...

Tonya Pinkins Tonya Pinkins 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 Feature at The Mykonos ...

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 1996 premiere of the Broadway musical '' Rent'' and Lucy in the ...

Thomas Sadoski Thomas Christian Sadoski (born July 1, 1976) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Don Keefer in the HBO series '' The Newsroom'' (2012–14) and as Matt Short in the CBS sitcom ''Life in Pieces'' (2015–19). Early life and e ...

, and

Frances Sternhagen Frances Hussey Sternhagen (January 13, 1930 – November 27, 2023) was an American actress. She was known as a character actress who appeared on- and off-Broadway, in movies, and on television for over six decades.Joy, Car"Frances Sternhagen i ...

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

winners and nominees

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

Kim Hunter Kim Hunter (born Janet Cole; November 12, 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 ...

, and

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

, and

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...

winners and nominees

Ruby Dee Ruby Dee (born Ruby Ann Wallace; October 27, 1922 – June 11, 2014) was an American actress. She was married to Ossie Davis, with whom she frequently performed until his death in 2005. She received numerous accolades, including an Emmy Award, ...

America Ferrera America Georgina Ferrera (; born April 18, 1984) is an American actress, director and television producer. She has received List of awards and nominations received by America Ferrera, numerous accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golde ...

Sarah Jessica Parker Sarah Jessica Parker (born March 25, 1965) is an American actress and television producer. In a career spanning over five decades, she has performed across several productions of both Sarah Jessica Parker filmography, screen and stage. List o ...

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

, 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). Early life Moore grew up in Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville and Georg ...

Pedro Pascal José Pedro Balmaceda Pascal (; born April 2, 1975) is a Chilean and American actor. After nearly two decades of taking small roles on stage and television, Pascal had his breakthrough role, breakout role as Oberyn Martell in the Game of Thr ...

, Ato Essandoh, Richard Masur, Cristin Milioti, Constance Shulman,and

Tracie Thoms Tracie Thoms is an American actress and singer. She is known for her roles in ''Rent'', ''Cold Case'', '' The Devil Wears Prada'', ''Death Proof'', the Fox television series '' Wonderfalls''; as of 2018 she has been a recurring cast member of th ...

. Alumni of the WP Lab include

JoAnne Akalaitis JoAnne Akalaitis (born June 29, 1937, in Cicero, Illinois) is an avant-garde American theatre director and writer. She has won five Obie Awards for direction (and sustained achievement) and was a co-founder of the New York theater company Mabou ...

, 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 She made ...

. 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 an arts organization in New York City. Founded by Joseph Papp, The Public Theater was originally the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954; its mission was to support emerging playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: A ...

), Emily Mann (

McCarter Theatre McCarter Theatre Center is a not-for-profit, professional company on the campus of Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey. It was incorporated as a nonprofit in 1963. A two-time Tony Award winner, the McCarter’s legacy traces back to ...

), Maria Goyanes (Woolly Mammoth), Pam MacKinnon (A.C.T) 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 on March 18, 2020.

Productions

Since 1978, WP Theater has produced more than 700 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 American 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. ...

, the Vineyard Theater, INTAR, and New York Theatre Workshop. Often, WP Theater produces plays that are New York premieres or world premieres. These include ''Dirty Laundry'' by Mathilde Dratwa, ''minor.ity'' by francisca da silveira, ''Our Dear Dead Drug Lord'' by Alexis Scheer, ''Hurricane Diane'' by Madeleine George, ''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 21 ...

and directed by

Leigh Silverman Leigh Silverman is an American director for the stage, both off-Broadway and on Broadway. She was nominated for the 2014 and 2024 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical for the musicals '' Violet'' and '' Suffs'', and the 2008 Drama Desk Awar ...

, ''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 h ...

, ''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 and one of the most influential 20th-century modernist authors. She helped to pioneer the use of stream of consciousness narration as a literary device. Vir ...

'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 as Colette or Colette Willy, was a French author and woman of letters. She was also a Mime artist, mime, actress, and journalist. Colette is best known in the English-speaki ...

, Virginia Woolf,

Dorothy Parker Dorothy Parker (née Rothschild; August 22, 1893 – June 7, 1967) was an American poet and writer of fiction, plays and screenplays based in New York; she was known for her caustic wisecracks, and eye for 20th-century urban foibles. Parker ros ...

Gertrude Stein Gertrude Stein (February 3, 1874 – July 27, 1946) was an American novelist, poet, playwright, and art collector. Born in Allegheny, Pennsylvania (now part of Pittsburgh), and raised in Oakland, California, Stein moved to Paris in 1903, and ...

Sylvia Plath Sylvia Plath (; October 27, 1932 – February 11, 1963) was an American poet and author. She is credited with advancing the genre of confessional poetry and is best known for '' The Colossus and Other Poems'' (1960), '' Ariel'' (1965), a ...

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 "the ...

, and

Joan Didion Joan Didion (; December 5, 1934 – December 23, 2021) was an American writer and journalist. She is considered one of the pioneers of New Journalism, along with Gay Talese, Truman Capote, Norman Mailer, Hunter S. Thompson, and Tom Wolfe. Didio ...

, among others. It was conceived by writer

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

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. Pers ...

. ''Choices'' ran from November 30 to December 17, 1978, in the American Place Theater 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'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' 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 The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

written and directed by Emily Mann. The production featured

, Timothy Near, and John Spencer and earned four

Obie Award The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards given since 1956 by ''The Village Voice'' newspaper to theater artists and groups involved in off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City. Starting just after th ...

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 theatre, theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketch comedy, sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural pre ...

of songs and sketches conceived and directed by Julianne Boyd 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 her debut film Hester S ...

. 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 news ...

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

Cassandra Medley Cassandra Medley (born August 12, 1949) is an American playwright and screenwriter. Her plays include '' A... My Name Is Alice'' (1984) '' Ma Rose'' (1988), '' Noon Day Sun'' (2001), '' Relativity'' (2004), and ''Cell'' (2011). From 1995-1997 Me ...

Winnie Holzman Winnie Holzman is an American playwright, screenwriter, actress, and producer. She is best known for writing the book of the Tony Award winning Broadway musical '' Wicked'', and for co-writing the screenplays for the two films based on the music ...

Marta Kauffman Marta Fran Kauffman (born September 21, 1956) is an American television writer and producer. She is best known for co-creating the NBC sitcom ''Friends'' with her longtime friend, David Crane; Crane and Kauffman similarly were in a friend group ...

Anne Meara Anne Meara (September 20, 1929 – May 23, 2015) was an American comedian and actress. 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 Ben S ...

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

, since its inception. Fornés, a

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prizes () are 23 annual awards given by Columbia University in New York City for achievements in the United States in "journalism, arts and letters". They were established in 1917 by the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made his fo ...

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, and Julia Miles produced eight of Fornes' work in their legendary lifelong collaboration. 7

Current Staff at WP

Ria Mae Binoaro - Development Manager Alisha Espinosa - Marketing Director Kristin Leahey - Bold Associate Artistic Director Gary Levinson - Producing Manager Lisa McNulty - Producing Artistic Director Julianna Azevedo Mitchell - Audience and Community Engagement Manager Ayana Parker Morrison - Co - Facilitator Producers Lab Michael Sag - Managing Director Hannah Sgambellone - Associate Production Manager Sofia Ubilla - Bold New Play Development Consultant Michael Valladares - Business and Company Manager Katherine Wilkinson- Co - Facilitator: Directors Lab

The Lab

The Lab is a two-year residency for Women + 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 ...

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

WP Lab alumnae

Playwrights Lab members 1992–2004

* Janet Allard * Taylor Barton *

Neena Beber Neena Beber is an American playwright, librettist, screenwriter, and television producer. Early life and education Beber was born and raised in Miami, Florida. Beber has a bachelor's degree from Harvard and a Master of Fine Arts from New York ...

* 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 Univers ...

* Michele Aldin Kushner * Margaret Lamb * Ji Hyun Lee * Stephanie Lehmann * Lucy Lehrer * Andrea Lepcio * Patricia Lin * Jessica Litwak * Nancy Lubet * Carol Mack * Julie McKee *

* Kim Merrill * Lyssa Miller * Rachelle Minkoff * Debbie Mitchell * Chiori Miyagawa * Lesli-Jo Morizono * Laura Quinn * Elizabeth Scales Rheinfrank * Carmen Rivera * Kate Robin * Alva Rogers * 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 (magazine), ''New Y ...

* 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 *

* Merry Alderman *

* Marcella Andre * Cecelia Antoinette * Marcy Arlin * Alexandra Aron * Linda Atkinson * Julie Fei-Fan Balzer * Mirra Bank * Lisa Barnes * Sue Batchelor * Jessica Bauman * Meghan Beals * Alma Becker * Suzanne Bennett * Melia Bensussen * Jackie Berger * Randee Mia Berman * Hilary Blecher * Donna Tomas Bond * Robin Bowers * Julianne Boyd * 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 * 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 * 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 an American 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 ''Yes ...

* 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 * 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 * Sharon Ott * 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 Aileen Taylor-Corbett (December 2, 1946 – January 12, 2025) was an American choreographer, director, lyricist and composer. Life and career Lynne Taylor-Corbett was born in Denver, Colorado on December 2, 1946. She grew up in the area a ...

* Beatrice Terry * Joan Vail Thorne * Laura Tichler * Virlana Tkacz * Susana Tubert *

Ching Valdes-Aran Ching Valdes-Aran (also credited as Ching Valdes and Ching Valdes/Aran) is a Filipino-American actress of stage, television, and film, who was trained as a dancer and became a choreographer. Early life and education Valdes-Aran was born in San Ni ...

* 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

Pipeline Festival and Production History

In addition to Lab members developing their own unique work, the Lab residency culminates in the biennial Pipeline Festival, a festival of five new plays written, directed and produced by the Lab. The Pipeline Festival gives audiences a unique opportunity to see five new works in various stages of development, ranging from staged readings, to streamed films, to full-length workshop productions – presented over a span of several weeks.

Pipeline Production History

Prior to Pipeline Festival and First Looks

Before the creation of the Pipeline Festival in 2016 the WP Lab presented First Looks, a rehearsed reading series. Similarly to Pipeline, First looks showcased works from Lab playwrights and directors in the span of a month long series. First Looks first premiered in 1999 under founder Julia Miles and continued until 2004. Some works that came out of First Looks include, ''The Clean House,'' written by Sarah Ruhl as well as ''Sex, Death, and the Beach Baby,'' by Kim Merril.

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, poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credi ...

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''. Since 2016, she ha ...

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), also known as BJK, is an American former World number 1 ranked female tennis players, world No. 1 tennis player. King won 39 Grand Slam (tennis), Grand Slam titles: 12 in singles, 16 in w ...

Chita Rivera Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero (January 23, 1933 – January 30, 2024), known professionally as Chita Rivera, was an American actress, singer, and dancer. Rivera received numerous accolades including two Tony Awards, two Drama Desk Awa ...

, and

Gloria Steinem Gloria Marie Steinem ( ; born March 25, 1934) is an American journalist and social movement, social-political activist who emerged as a nationally recognized leader of second-wave feminism in the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s. ...

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, a ...

, 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