Women Warriors, Then and Now: How the Voices of the Past Inform Today’s Battle for Equality

Theater Resources Unlimited and the League of Professional Theatre Women join forces this Thursday night in a significant event, a Town Hall, Women Warriors, Then. And Now: How the Voices of the Past Inform Today’s Battle for Equality. This conversation will kick off an ongoing collaboration that includes discounted reciprocal memberships. This is a chance for two professional theater organizations to come together and blend into an even stronger mutually supportive community. Visit https://truonline.org/events/women-warriors/ to register and request the zoom link. TRU Town Halls are live at Polaris North Studio, 245 W. 29th Street, 4th floor, NYC, with simultaneous streaming available for our friends outside of New York City.  

States TRU executive director Bob Ost: “Whether you identify as a female theater maker or are simply conscious and concerned about the struggles women face in today’s world, we invite you to be a part of the conversation. And part of the community.”

Co-hosts to include: Jane Bergère, a multi Tony and Olivier Award winning producer for Broadway, London, Australia and Asia, currently represented on Broadway with Dog Day Afternoon staring Jon Bernthal and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as well as Death of a Salesman, starring Nathan Lane; Elivia Bovenzi Blitz, costume designer, educator; Cheryl L. Davis, Kleban, Larsen and Audelco award winning playwright/ librettist/ lyricist, award winning TV soap writer, general counsel for the Author's Guild and co-founder and vice president of TRU; Lynnie Godfrey, actress, singer, dancer, director, producer, dramaturg/sensitivity consultant and former president of the League of Professional Theater Women. Patricia Snyder, Emmy winner for Hizzoner! docudrama about Fiorello La Guardia, founding director of The Empire State Youth Theatre Institute, producer (regional theaters and Broadway; Raggedy Ann in Moscow, The Kennedy Center and Broadway; Sleeping Beauty Kabuki, A Tale of Cinderella and Narnia off Broadway). Moderated by Bob Ost of TRU and Cynthia Straus of LPTW. 

Strides towards equal rights have been made thanks to the dedication of fearless women throughout history. Women won the right to vote, and yet the Equal Rights Amendment is still in limbo. Cultural shifts moved women from second-class citizenship under the thumb of a patriarchy into something that resembles equality. But is it? Women have populated leadership positions in the business world, and yet equal pay is a challenge to this day. Compassion and common sense brought women a little closer to bodily autonomy until the political pendulum made a steep swing in the other direction. Given the challenges women are faced with today how do we up the ante in order to navigate the sweeping tide of patriarchal backlash and adjust to the current demands? How can we get equal rights for women – and for all – back on track? Are the methods of our past warriors still effective today? What can we learn from them and how can we apply it effectively in today’s world?

Doors open at 6:30pm for networking and roundtable introductions of everyone in the room – come prepared with your best 20-second summary of who you are, and what you need. The Open Forum will start at 7:00pm. Free for members of TRU, Polaris North and members of LPTW; $15 for non-members (with a $5 ticket option available to anyone who needs it). Please use the bright red reservation box here on our web page, or email or phone at least a day in advance (or much sooner): e-mail TRUStaff1@gmail.com.