Theatre: It's a Man's World

Last week, I wrote about the media's portrayal of women and the effects it has on women's perception of their own beauty. However, in this entry, I have chosen to blog about the on going struggle for female playwrights to break through the "glass ceiling," (see image, left), in an effort get their work produced in both the east coast and the west coast theatre circuits. To offer a better understanding of the issue, statistics show that the number of female-penned plays on the stages of New York represents 12.6% of the total, while 60% of theatre audiences are female. The problem is frighteningly similar on the west coast, as well. Theatre is, at its very least, supposed to be a forum for progress, change and expression. How is it that an aspiring female playwright most definitely still finds herself in a man's world? Are there just not enough plays written by women to choose from? What's the deal? As a young woman with her sights set on a life in the arts, I have decided to raise a few questions and offer encouragement to the writers of a few blogs, who are currently concerning themselves with this ever present problem. I comment first on a blog entry, "Broadway's glass ceiling," written by acclaimed playwright Theresa Rebeck, author of several plays, including Spike Heels and Mauritius, which is making its and her Broadway debut on October 3rd of this year. Her blog is currently closed for commenting, so I have included it below. Rebeck, pictured below, does well in ranting on the issue as far as New York is concerned, so I found another blog that paints the picture just as effectively regarding southern California's iffy theatrical production decisions, similarly titled "L.A. Theatre's Glass Ceiling." Lisa Fung, a Los Angeles Times staff writer for the L.A. Times blog, Culture Monster, offers a similar, but more subdued, message as Rebeck: it is high time for female playwrights to get the representation they deserve from the theatre world that they are devoting their talents to. You will find my comments on what both writers had to say below.

"Broadway's glass ceiling" by Theresa Rebeck
Comment:
I would like to thank you, Ms. Rebeck, for taking the time to share your sarcastic assessment of the issue regarding the production of female penned plays in New York-- or lack thereof. The underrepresentation of women is a battle that plagues all areas of our lives: education, business, the arts, etc. Most probably assume that this struggle does not surface in the "free" and "artistic" world of theatre, but as you've expressed and those of us in the theatre community have experienced, it most certainly does. Your frank method of shrewdly shedding light on the issue is an unappreciated way of really reaching out to readers, grabbing their attention, and possibly giving them a voice--specifically women. So many critics speak in lofty terms to analyze theatre and the world in which it exists, making the "theatre is for snobs" stereotype reign supreme. Your sources give a good impression as to what is popular on Broadway today. It would have been wonderful if you could have included a source for the startling statistics on the plays written by women on NY stages and the 60% female audience percentage you give. I wonder: do you believe the number of plays written by women matches up to that of those written by men? Do producers have just as much male and female-authored work to choose from, or are they simply choosing male playwrights, because, well, they are male? I imagine great strides would be made for this cause if women were encouraged to write more, from early childhood into womanhood, so that they may grow up learning to to use the voice they normally would not even know they had. Then, maybe, the amount of good work written by women would be undeniable. What do you feel is the best remedy for this illness that has the world of theatre, or at least the women in it, feeling so sick? Lastly, I think your bravery in speaking out is something to be admired. You are a successful female writer in a seemingly "man's world," and you have a great deal to lose by putting your "balls" on the line. Write on, Ms. Rebeck, write on.

"L.A.'s Glass Ceiling" by Lisa Fung
Comment:
Many thanks to you, Ms. Fung, for shedding light on the theatre scene on the west coast, and how our struggle relates to that of the east coast theatre circuit. Your choice in using Theresa Rebeck's words, when identifying the barriers women playwrights face in getting produced as a "glass ceiling," is unfortunately perfectly accurate. Your simple and fact-based argument is effective in reaching both male and female readers, while Rebeck's sarcastic tone and choice of words may scare off the very men whose minds she is hoping to change. It is interesting that the Orange County theatre community has embraced female playwrights more that the Los Angeles circuit has. What do you think this is? I definitely agree with you that the woman's voice in the California theatre world is being muffled to a whisper thanks to producer's choices, but, I will pose the same question to you that I did to Rebeck when I ask: do you believe the umber of plays written by women matches up to that of those written by men? Do producers have just as much male and female-authored work to choose from, or are they simply choosing male playwrights because, well, they are male? Also, I wonder what a potential solution to this problem could be. You imply that an expectation for "some sort of gender based affirmative action" would be in appropriate, but is there any other way? What do you suggest? Could the answer lay in the encouragement of women to express themselves through story and other outlets, from the time they are young? I believe the answer to this equation is more deeply rooted, that it trickles down to young girls who are not even aware that theatre exists as something they can be a part of. Females should feel empowered and confident enough to tell stories, only then will the playing field be even between men and women when it comes to production decisions. lastly, I admire your action in responding to the problem and continuing to fuel the fire that Theresa Rebeck started. The heat is on, thank the theatre gods.

Plastic Surgery: Is the Industry to Blame?

In the busy lives we lead, we are most likely to make a quick dinner and turn on the tube. As we inhale our several hundred calories, we are bombarded with images of women, as the graphic to the right demonstrates, who look as though they have not had a single calorie in the last decade, and on top of that, they look as though they have not aged a single year in that same decade, either. A television show of any genre, a commercial and even your average reality TV show tends to depict a different kind of woman than what we are used to seeing on a day to day basis. The star of their show is a pin thin, twenty-something looking thing, who looks as though she just so happened to roll out of the tanning bed long enough to film her latest project. It’s no wonder that women feel physically inadequate, leading them to loads of plastic surgery.

Nearly 11.7 million cosmetic surgical and non-surgical procedures were performed in 2007, according to The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Women account for 91% of those procedures, while men are responsible for the other 9%. In 2001, women accounted for 87% of procedures, and men the remaining 13%. The top surgical procedure performed in 2007 was liposuction and the top non-surgical procedure was botox, which strongly indicates that women’s body images are affected the most in regards toward weight and age.

I believe there is a correlation between the spike in female plastic surgery procedures and the increase in the amount of reality television shows that have been filling our television screens for the past few years. There was a writer’s strike in the entertainment industry in 2001, which was right after the creation and nearly instant success of the “reality” television hit, Survivor. The strike is often attributed with being the reason why so many reality TV shows came into conception. No fiction equals no writing equals lower production costs. And so it began. The industry’s carefully packaged presentation of what is “real” began airing like there was no tomorrow. Well, apparently tomorrow never dies, because America is currently standing knee deep in reality television—swamped with the notion that perfection is normal.

One show, notorious for mis-portraying reality is MTV’s The Real World. The characters on the show are “usually beautiful and always overly dramatic,” says Danielle Stern, an Ohio University Ph.D. candidate in mass communications. She says they illustrate “the larger problem of television producers using sex and the exploitation of the female body to attract a young audience.” Networks are eager to attract a young demographic, because advertisers are constantly seeking their attention, seeing as how they are frequent shoppers. The advertisers sell young women products and clothing, while the very networks that do business with those advertisers cause girls to hate how they look while wearing their purchases.

Thankfully, there are real life efforts to change the image of beauty. There has definitely been a recent trend in owning one’s body and accepting it as beautiful. I attribute the start of this movement to playwright, Josefina Lopez, who wrote Real Women Have Curves, which was adapted for the screen and starred America Ferrera who is not only known for her acting chops, but also her curvaceous figure. Since 2006, Ferrera, pictured in character below, has been playing the role of Ugly Betty on ABC’s hit show by the same name. One show that does not get enough credit when it comes to the topic at hand, is E!’s reality show Keeping Up with the Kardashians. This is a family full of full figured women, who are proud of their bodies and more specifically their derrières. The show may be lacking when it comes to intelligent content, but it and Ugly Betty certainly deserve a nod for giving curvy women at home the opportunity to find a mirror in reality television.

Even the theatre community is getting involved. WET, Women’s Expressive Theatre based in New York, has a program called Risk Takers which “teaches girls how to look at the media with a critical eye, and to distinguish empowering risks from damaging risks.” Programs like this are important, because it requires physical connection and direct affirmation. The images of Ugly Betty and the Kardashians are left to interpretation. Theatre companies like WET are doing good work in showing young women how to find empowerment in the industry’s portrayal of “real women.”

It is my great hope that this trend in the honest portrayal of women proves to be more than just a trend. May it muster up the courage to persist and achieve longevity. Women need more images to balance out the bevy of unrealistic images they see every day, so that if they do want plastic surgery, they can make a more informed decision without the pressure. Playwrights, television and film writers, producers and advertisers need to take into consideration who we actually are, instead of who they want us to want ourselves to be. Every girl should be able to sit down in front of the television, eat her dinner, and use a toothpick after her meal, instead of watching one on the screen during her meal.