Hello all, I hope this note finds you well!

Thisweek we are looking at an overview of Women in Theatre, womenplaywrights and the work that they and other female writers are nowdoing as we see ourselves in an age where the relationship between menand women and how society views them have never been closer. However,there is still a gap that remains with the role and influence of womenin politics, religion, business and entertainment. The American view ofthe "Ideal Woman" has changed in the last 100 years and even moredrastically in the last 40 years since the 1970's when the voices ofwomen and the issues that directly affected them began to get heard instronger way. Remember that is it still less then 100 years since womenhave had the right to vote in America. Only since the 60's that womenhave been allowed their own credit credits cards separate from theirhusbands just to name a few examples….. Times have changed and much ofthat is with the voices of woman writing about woman and the trials andstruggles they face. We have seen from film to T.V. to the theatricalstage a huge upsurge of female-centric storytelling. We also witness acontentious election for president where Hillary Clinton won the popularvote by almost 3,000,000.00 votes. Huge strides have been made forwomen and equality! Perhaps that glass cieling will finally be broken in2020.

I believe this is a fabulous development!!!!!

Ithink it safe to say that this class has a general working familiaritywith some of the issues that would be important to women particularlyincluding: fair pay, parenting, working as a professional, women'srights politically, education, the "Glass Ceiling", abortion rights,health concerns, sexual harassment in the work place, the "War on Women"and your opinions about how women are used as political opportunities.Any feelings about Donald Trump and his P.O.V. about women in ourongoing conversation about the equality of woman in our society?

Choose one female playwright from this small list and do further research on that playwright.

This is a very short list of some very important female playwrights over the last 100 years.

(This is not a comprehensive list)

______________________________

Topics of discussion would be:

The playwright’s history and background.

How they came into being a playwright?

Youcan discuss topics and themes that are/were important to the playwrightand how being a woman influenced their Art in a positive or negativeway.

The nature of the playwrights worldand society in terms political, social and religious view of theplaywrights time and era with respect to women’s issues that may haveinfluence their art and storytelling.

Whatimpact did the playwright have on the overall public and politicaldiscourse about topics that are considered women’s issues? Was itpositive or negative

Awards, recognition or infamy that they may have received as a result of their work.

Would you like to watch a play by this playwright? Why or why not?

Your list to choose from:

Sarah Ruhl

Katori Hall

Paula Vogel

Wendy Wasserstein

Susan-Lori Parks

Lillian Hellman

Sarah Kane

Caryl Churchill

Marsha Norman

Beth Henley

Maya Angelou

Lorraine Vivian Hansberry

Rebecca Gillman

Lynn Nottage

Kathryn Bigelow

Shonda Rhimes

Linda Bloodworth-Thomason

Your paper should be a minimum of three pages double spaced.

You may include some pictures with your research.

Proper formatting and spelling.

Be sure to include both names on your research paper.