Theresa Rebeck's Laura Pels Keynote Address

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 3/20/11 at 11:19pm

A very interesting and thought provoking speech.

http://womenandhollywood.com/2010/03/16/text-of-theresa-rebeck-laura-pels-keynote-address/

ETA - it's over a year old but seems to be making the rounds on Facebook all of a sudden. Several colleagues have posted this in the past several days. Updated On: 3/20/11 at 11:19 PM

[After Eight]

Posted: 3/20/11 at 11:31pm

Bad plays are lucky to be produced, irrespective of their authors' gender.

She has written many bad plays that somehow have been produced.

She should consider herself fortunate.

[newintown]

Posted: 3/21/11 at 12:27pm

I agree, After Eight. Rebeck's constant whiny negativity is just annoying, considering her track record of production. She's just cranky that she isn't as rich or famous or awarded as she thinks she should be.

Theatres produce plays that they think will draw an audience, not based on the writer's gender, religion, diet, or genitalia size.

[newintown]

Posted: 3/21/11 at 12:56pm

Interestingly, an ibdb search for female writers represented on Broadway turns up more than 1,000 results; the most famous are in the list below, which also includes several names frequently produced regionally or Off-Broadway. Rebeck's complaint really is one from someone who refuses to be responsible for their own failures, constantly blaming them on society or another individual:

Jay Presson Allen
Sandra Bernhard
Julie Bovasso
Jane Bowles
Pearl S. Buck
Carol Burnett
June Carroll
Julia Cho
Betty Comden
Gretchen Cryer
Graciela Daniele
Mercedes De Acosta
Shelagh Delaney
Marguerite Duras
Eve Ensler
Nora Ephron
Carrie Fisher
Maria Irene Fornes
Amy Freed
Alexandra Gersten
Whoopi Goldberg
Micki Grant
Joyce Grenfell
Lorraine Hansberry
Lillian Hellman
June Havoc
Winnie Holzman
Julia Jordan
Fay Kanin
Jean Kerr
Dorothy Kilgallen
Lisa Kron
Diane Lane
Bryony Lavery
Rosetta LeNoire
Gypsy Rose Lee
Isobel Lennart
Lisa Loomer
Claire Boothe Luce
Leueen MacGrath
Elaine May
Mary McCarthy
Carson McCullers
Bette Midler
Alice Duer Miller
Nancy Mitford
Lavonne Mueller
Phyllis Newman
Mbongeni Ngema
Marsha Norman
Lynn Nottage
Kelly Overby
Hildy Parks
Suzan-Lori Parks
Polly Pen
Dawn Powell
Gilda Radner
Lynn Redgrave
Joan Rivers
Sarah Schulman
Sherie Rene Scott
Ntozake Shange
Anna Deavere Smith
Suzanne Somers
Gertrude Stein
Elaine Stritch
Susan Stroman
Jacqueline Susann
Julia Sweeney
Regina Taylor
Renée Taylor
Julie Taymor
Twyla Tharp
Lucy Thurber
Lily Tomlin
Paula Vogel
Wendy Wasserstein
Maurine Dallas Watkins
Tracey Scott Wilson