Charging Bias by Theaters, Female Playwrights to Hold Meeting

Charging Bias by Theaters, Female Playwrigths to Hold Meeting

“I personally don’t think playwriting is a gene on a Y chromosome,” said Theresa Rebeck, a playwright whose work (“Omnium Gatherum,” “Mauritius,” “The Scene”) has been produced frequently on New York stages, including on Broadway. She added that there has been a reluctance to confront the issue: “Many of our male peers find the debate intolerable. Men in the community seem to think that everything is fine.”

Ms. Schulman counted 50 plays by living American playwrights that are being mounted at the 14 theaters, 40 by men and 10 by women. Although there are differences about the best way to tally the numbers, no one disputes that a significant inequity exists.