Chicago Storefront Summit: report from Gender Equity Task Force ‘March 22, 2010 ‘group of participants in the Chicago Storefront Summit has been working to create a snapshot of recent gender ‘equality conditions in the Chicago thestre community by collecting and analyzing local data. Methodology TimeOut Chicago provided information on llthelr theatre event stings from 2008: a total of 1113 Istngs. Margo Gray (Prologue Theatre Co.) and Tony Adams (Halyon Theatre) developed guidelines for coding each listing acording to author gender and production type. Sketch and improv shows, cabarets, variety shows staged readings, festivals, scene showcases, urlesques, remount ofa production fom the same year, and one-night engagements were separated out for further analysis, and are not included in these statistics, Eight categories were used for coding author gender for each sting ‘+ Female (including multiple authors al female) Male (Inctucing multiple authors, ll male) ‘Mixed authorship (majority female) Mixed authorship (majority male) ‘Mixed authorship (equal gender split) Trans or ther gender Deuised/ensemble created ‘Author gender unknown For the batch of productions analyzed here, no listings fll into the following categories: Trans or other gender or Author ender unknown, Statistics are provided fra total of 703 listings that flint the remaining 6 categorles. Preliminary Findings also see attached charts) Plays weitten by women (either one woman ora group of all women) constituted 18.8% of plays produced in Chicago in 2009. ifyou include al plays that had any Input from a women (assuming that all ensemble-created work included ‘ontibutions fom at least one woman) the number Is stl only 30% This means that 70% ofthe stories audlences saw ‘om Chicago stages last year were writen from an exclusively mae pont of vew. category umber of | Percentage of total productions | productions Plays by one man (or a team of only men 492 7086 Plays by one woman (or @ team of only women) 132 199% Plays bya team of men and women (mostly men) 11 3% Plays bya team of men and women (mostly women) 1 % Play by eer of ner ard women (equal gender spit) 26 26 ‘Devised or ensemble created work rm % ‘This data puts Chicago roughy in ine wit recent statistics from New York theaters and from Theatre Communications ‘Group member theatres, which found that between 17%" and 20% of plays produced by those groups are writen by "nr Jordan and set Winer. “Discrimination and The Female Playwright.” The Dramett (Spt Ot 2003). tps warts erglaricle/dsrimination and feraleplayariht Data provided by Time Out Chicago from all event listings in 2009. Coded by volunteers from the Chicago Storefront ‘Summit Gender Equity Task Force and analyzed by Margo Gray (Prologue Theatre Co,Further analysts TimeOut Chicago has made avallable listings data dating back to 2005. Volunteers from the Gender Equity Task Force will continue to organize ths data with the goal of analyzing tends in playwright gender representation over the past five years, Other projects wil nclude trends in gender equity for dectors ancl designers, We aso hope to classify reducing organizations by budget sie In order to break down percentages of female playwrights produced for each budget category. Any person wishing to become Involved withthe future effets of this group should contact Margo Gray (margo@ prologuetheatreco.or) or Tony Adams (tony@haleyontheate.or)- Other projects of the Gender Equity Task Force ‘Gender equality in organizational leadership: How many women helm Chicago theatre companies, and what effect «does that representation have on the community? ‘The League of Chicago Theaters provided als of al women who hold the postion of executive director, artiste iector, managing director, ora sila leadership postion in a League company iy-eght (58) companies made the list, out of aporoximately 290 League members, That means 31% of League members have @ woman In one of thelr top leadership positions. Breaking out only the current female Atistle Directors of League members, we find twenty-nine (28) women serving as the artistic leaders of thee companies, or 15% of League members. Colncientaly, hiss the same percentage of wornen who served as CEOs of Fortune 500 companies in 2008, but below the figure forthe nation’s 400 largest nonprofits, 195 of which have a female serving as CEO™ Todo list ‘Other suggestions that came out of January meeting ofthe Task Force include the following + Increase women’s participation in mentoring by playwrights, designers, company leaders, and others (taking advantage of existing League offerings or seting up Informal mentoring opportunites). ‘+ Insitute policies of bind readings for new play submlssions, similar to lind auctions held by orchestras ‘+ Gather statistics on what audiences want to see more of, not what we think they want to see. ‘Create a diversity report eard for area theaters. Bring vsblty tothe dsparty and highlight those who are doing {good workin achieving parity Partner with schools inthe community to engage young people in theatre by women, Create a festival of work by women, or collaborate around existing festivals. ‘Market or package gender-equitabe programming Ina collective way. ‘Examine missin statements to find ways to include equality Could several companies collaborate on aye long exploration of gender equity? ‘The Gender Equlty Task Force will meet again this spring to continue work on these and other projects. Watch the ‘Chicago storefront Summit Facebook page for announcements, or e-mall Margo Gray (margo@prologuetheatreco ors) for Jenn adams (Jennwhalcyonetneatr® org) t get InvoWved, * Jonas, susan and suzanne Bennett. “Repert on te Status of Women linited engagement” New York Sate Cound onthe Aris Theatre Program Vanuar 2002) hte. womenartsor/advoeacy/WemencountNYSCARepart. him >a, Heather. "A Man's World.” Conte of Plandhop. (September 17, 200) hitp{Jahlanthrop.comfartialAMans- worts7099/ Data provided by Time Out Chicago from all event listings In 2009. Coded by volunteers from the Chicago Storefront Summit Gender Equity Task Force and analyze by Margo Gray (Prologue Theatre Co,(09 anneau andojoig) Aes of Aa parseue pue 2104 9501 ‘yng sopuos yuruns wosjroxs ofeaN4D a4 wo SH9axUMION Aq apOD 600% U sBURS] IUaNa Ie Woy OBEOHL INO BU AG PAPHROAS Ee, {2s fo owes ee) uw v0 haste 6002 08e3149 u! peanpoud shejd 104 1puaé soyanyvaeven ys2va9 pur saSeuew aneaul seonpoxs aps 01 Wapstd APNPUI SN Go sMEOURIEESNN, saaqeay o3e214) | 4o an8ee7 ul saluedwioo ye suonisod diysiapeay ul uawon,