An Interview with Split Britches: Peggy Shaw and Lois Weaver

Peggy Shaw and Lois Weaver founded Split Britches and the WOW Café in the East Village, which was a home for and central to the development of feminist and queer theatre. They’re now presenting “Unexploded Ordnances” at La MaMa. We talk with them about how their process for making work has evolved, changes in theatre since the 1980s, their thoughts on not getting the same credit as men, their legacy, and more.

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Ladies Who Launch: Four Actresses Who Started Their Own Businesses

There’s a group of women who have combined their artistic and business skills to create their own businesses in addition to their careers in the theatre. We talked to four of them—Jeanna De Waal, who runs Broadway Weekends, a theatre workshop for adults; Sas Goldberg, who owns Name Glo, a neon sign company; Sydney Morton, who started a party planning business; and Jennifer Laura Thompson, who makes and sells her own jewelry—about their other careers as business women.

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Susan Soon He Stanton, Palmer Hefferan, and Jennifer Ikeda on “Today Is My Birthday”

In “Today Is My Birthday,” a woman returns home to Hawai’i to figure out her life. In an unusual twist of form, the play’s over 50 scenes all happen over the phone, on the radio, or through other forms of indirect communication. We talk to Susan Soon He Stanton, Palmer Hefferan, and Jennifer Ikeda about the play.

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The Woman Behind the Images: Paula Scher on Creating Brand Identities for New York’s Cultural Institutions

Paula Scher is one of the leading graphic designers in the country. She’s responsible for the branding of a number of major theatre and performing arts organizations, including the iconic Public Theater posters and logos. We sat down with her to discuss how she branded The Public Theater and other institutions, how she thinks theatre marketing can be improved, and her design process.

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How Do You Direct a Play About Sexual Assault? How Do You Direct Two of Them?

This past year, director Tyne Rafaeli has had a slightly unusual theme in her work: stories surrounding sexual assault. Earlier this year, Tyne directed “Actually” and currently she’s directing “The Rape of The Sabine Women, By Grace B. Matthias.” We talked to Tyne about how she went about directing two very different plays that deal with sexual assault.

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