Robin Morgan:
The "otherizing" of women is the oldest oppression known to our species, and it's the model, the template, for all other oppressions.
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Robin Morgan: |
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE THEATRE UNBOUND SINGS "I'M STILL HERE" (Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota) Theatre Unbound reaches the coveted 10-year anniversary that many small non-profit theaters only hope to achieve. In fact, the only other women's theatre troupe to last ten years in Minnesota was At the Foot of the Mountain run by Martha Boesing (1974-1984). Working on a shoestring budget with an all-volunteer staff, Theatre Unbound's spitfire group of women is ready to celebrate their history. In 1999, Theatre Unbound was set in motion by seven local theatre artists: Amy Rydberg, Heather Stone, Jeannine Coulombe, Laurel Osterkamp, Sharon Steitler, Anne Bertram and Stacey Poirier. Several of these women have since moved on to start other companies (Sandbox Theater, Workhaus Collective, 3 Months to Live). Bertram and Poirier remain with the current company of eleven women. "As an actress going out on auditions, I started to realize that there weren't very many interesting opportunities for women," says Poirier. "When a good role did come along, there were 50+ other actresses lined up for it. For me personally, Theatre Unbound meant more opportunities to work on stage." Since taking over as Artistic Director in 2002, Poirier now views women's theatre through a broader scope. "It's not just about creating opportunities for artists anymore. It's also about creating a space for women to experience stories about themselves." Women comprise 52% of the population and attend theater in even greater proportion. Yet, women are grossly underrepresented onstage - male characters tend to outnumber females, even in plays written by women. In addition, only about 18% of American stage productions are written or directed by women. "Stories shape the way we think about ourselves and about our potential as human beings," says Bertram, Theatre Unbound's Managing Director. "To quote literary scholar Carolyn Heilbrun, 'Power consists to a large extent in deciding what stories will be told.'" Theatre Unbound is one of a dozen or so women's theatre companies across the nation that are working to bridge this power gap. Others include Airmid Theatre in Long Island, NY; The Women's Theatre Project in Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Echo Theatre in Dallas, TX; and The Women's Project in New York, NY. This season, Theatre Unbound will present more women's stories than ever before with a Minnesota Fringe Festival production, three full-length plays, an evening of historical one-act plays, the popular 24 Hour Play Project, and a new project called 6 for $6. All of Theatre Unbound's 2009-2010 Season will be performed at the Lowry Lab Theatre at 360 St. Peter Street in downtown St. Paul, with the exception of The Most Massive Woman Wins, which, as part of the Minnesota Fringe Festival, will be performed at the Rarig Center Arena Theatre at the University of Minnesota. THEATRE UNBOUND'S 2009-2010 TENTH ANNIVERSARY SEASON Most Massive Woman Wins by Madeleine George Aphra's Attic: Plays by Early Women Playwrights Chemical Imbalance: A Jekyll & Hyde Play by Lauren Wilson Expecting Isabel by Lisa Loomer 24 Hour Play Project Medea: A Noh Cycle by Carol Sorgenfrei 6 Shorts ABOUT THEATRE UNBOUND Theatre Unbound produces high quality, visionary theatre created by women - powerful stories that represent women in active pursuit of their goals and desires; female perspectives on universal struggles and achievements. ###
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