Congratulations to WAP(s) Founder Marianne Sawchuk who presents the 8th annual theatre festival celebrating plays written by, acted by and directed by women.  Running March 6 thru 15th at the VideoCabaret, 10 Busy Street in downtown Toronto, WAP(s) features multiple short 1-act plays in each presentation with award-winning playwrights, actors and directors.Saucy Minx recently spoke with Marianne who shared this….

Marianne, what inspired this theatrical initiative – especially the concept of presenting multiple short 1-act plays in one 2hr show?  I founded Women At Play(s) in 2005 with the goal of addressing the under-representation of women in theatre. I recognized the gap in the professional careers between men and women at the time, a fact clearly enumerated in the 2006 report by the Rebecca Burton for the Equity in Canadian Theatre Women’s Initiative. But I also experienced this personally. My husband and I had just moved to Vancouver from LA and he was constantly getting auditions and work while I waited for the phone to ring for parts like Bimbo #2. I decided to take matters into my own hands to take control over the kind of parts I wanted to play and not be one of only 4 women characters on a film call sheet out of 57 characters or be the only woman in a play written and directed by men. The only way to make a change you want to see in the world is to do something about it – it just takes a bit of work. (Marianne, pictured below)WAP(s) has developed a great environment for actors and directors, and has given a platform for women playwrights. Is this a good opportunity for both established and emerging writers?  Women At Play(s) is a great opportunity for both established and emerging writers. Established writers are able to have their original short plays fully produced. Emerging playwrights have an opportunity to see their work performed on stage. One extra bonus for emerging playwrights is that since the plays are selected by a jury and produced, they qualify to become a member of the Playwrights Guild of Canada. I love having established playwrights’ work return to our stages. Providing opportunities boosts their visibility and increases their chances of their work being produced on larger stages.

On Sunday March 8th, Marianne encourages matinee (2:30pm showtime) audiences to remain after the show for an up close and personal Q&A panel discussion, acknowledging Int’l Women’s Day and the importance of women-supporting-women, esp. in the arts.

Thanks, Marianne, and good luck with this year’s Festival.  Visit www.womenatplays.ca for details and tickets.