«A who’s who of women’s
contributions to theatre feels like a long overdue reference publication which
Naomi Paxton, Susan Croft and Gabrielle Brooks have addressed in their new book 50
Women in Theatre edited by Cheryl Robson. Taking a global as
well as a historical perspective, this volume is essential reading for anyone
hoping to celebrate the influence of female writers, performers, producers and
creatives.
Opening with three essays exploring different kinds of types of
contribution, Paxton’s piece discusses the early pioneers, Croft the post-war
era and Brooks (recently seen in Jouvert in the
West End), offers an assessment of post-pandemic opportunities while pointedly
exposing some of the “closed shop” practices that limit opportunities for women
and those outside the select inner circle. While these articles are essentially
lists of women and productions, dating back to the seventeenth-century, there
is some value in seeing the growth and breadth of their impact in print.
The remaining sections of the book are devoted to individual
profiles of significant women, divided into ‘Pioneers and Legends’ and a
collection of mini-interviews entitled ‘Women in Theatre in Their Own Words’.
Invariably with a selection of 50 there is plenty of debate to be had about who
is left out. And while none of the women in the book should be omitted, there
are easily 50 more who could be included.
Many of those profiled continue to work and have had long
careers, but a book like this should be as interested in the future as it is
the past and present. An additional essay or profile on theatre’s rising stars
and those making significant impacts would add additional value; those like
director Marianne Elliott who is name-checked in a couple of essays, but is,
arguably, one of the only women to break through to superstar director status
and is almost at the point where her name alone is distinctive enough to sell a
show. Likewise, the work of producer Katy Lipson in seizing opportunities to
tell new kinds of stories on the biggest platforms, while writers like Morgan
Lloyd Malcolm, Lolita Chakrabti and Natasha Gordon are introducing the West End
to valuable new perspectives, voices and experiences.
If the biography approach has a fault, it is that it lacks
analysis, so rather than merely listing and describing, it could have been more
interesting to think more about the ways women’s contributions have changed
theatre. The women in this book are more than a list of productions; they have
fundamentally altered how theatres operate and taken every chance to advance
the art form. For example Caryl Churchill upended structure and form on stage
in a way that is entirely distinct, while Sonia Friedman has developed a
formula for success that has transformed commercial theatre and its relationship
with audiences and critics.
On that note, the creation of theatre is only half of the
process, so what of the critics, a whole side of the theatre industry not even
referenced here but has a vital intermediary role in the transition between
theatre-makers and audiences – a paragraph or two for prominent arts writers
including Lyn Gardner, Libby Purves or Sarah Crompton would also enhance the
depth of the book. As a publication, 50 Women in Theatre is
comprehensive and a good thing to have, an important collection of talent
around the world. Yet, is it enough just to show that women were there without
assessing how they are shaping the agenda?». Saiba mais. E também neste endereço.