The Womens Project & Productions

WP THEATER (LISA MCNULTY, PRODUCING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR; MICHAEL SAG, MANAGING DIRECTOR) IS THE NATIONS OLDEST AND LARGEST THEATER COMPANY DEDICATED TO DEVELOPING, PRODUCING, AND PROMOTING THE WORK OF WOMEN+ AT EVERY STAGE OF THEIR CAREERS.

MAINSTAGE SERIESEACH YEAR, WP OFFERS OUR MAINSTAGE SERIES, WHICH FEATURES A FULL SEASON OF OFF-BROADWAY PRODUCTIONS WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN+ THEATER ARTISTS, REACHING OVER 15,000 AUDIENCE MEMBERS ANNUALLY. MAINSTAGE PRODUCTIONS ARE A MIX OF NEW PLAYS AND MUSICALS BY GAME-CHANGING EARLY CAREER ARTISTS SUCH AS RACHEL BONDS/THE BENGSONS, REHANA LEW MIRZA, ALEXIS SCHEER, DONNETTA LAVINIA GRAYS, AND KATE BENSON, AS WELL AS PRODUCTIONS OF NEW WORK BY SOME OF TODAY'S MOST RENOWNED LIVING WOMEN+ PLAYWRIGHTS, INCLUDING MARTYNA MAJOK, SARAH RUHL, TANYA BARFIELD, AND THERESA REBECK. WP STRIVES TO PROGRAM WORK THAT SHOWS THE BREADTH OF THE STORIES WOMEN+ TELL, AS WELL AS REFLECTING THE RACIAL, SOCIOECONOMIC AND GENDER DIVERSITY OF WP'S ARTISTIC COMMUNITY AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE. CO-PRODUCTIONS WITH LIKE-MINDED COMPANIES SUCH AS SECOND STAGE AND BALTIMORE CENTER STAGE, AS WELL AS OUR PAST COLLABORATIONS WITH RATTLESTICK PLAYWRIGHTS THEATER, ARS NOVA, THE BUSHWICK STARR, AND OTHERS HAVE ALLOWED US TO GROW OUR AUDIENCE BASE, BRING WP ARTISTS EVEN MORE FULLY TO THE FIELD AT LARGE, AND EXPAND OUR PRODUCTION CAPACITY. THESE PARTNERSHIPS HAVE ALLOWED WP ACCESS TO OTHER THEATERS' AUDIENCES, EXPOSED US TO ALTERNATE PRODUCING MODELS, AND ALLOWED US TO GROW OUR SEASON WITHOUT STRAINING OUR OPERATING BUDGET. WP LAB FOUNDED IN 1983, THE WP LAB IS A UNIQUE, CAREER-LAUNCHING TWO-YEAR MENTORSHIP AND NEW PLAY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR 15 EARLY-CAREER WOMEN+ PLAYWRIGHTS, DIRECTORS, AND PRODUCERS (FIVE IN EACH CONCENTRATION). THE LAB DISTINGUISHES ITSELF AS THE ONLY PROGRAM IN AMERICA THAT PUTS PLAYWRIGHTS, DIRECTORS, AND PRODUCERS TOGETHER IN THE SAME ROOM. SELECTED THROUGH A HIGHLY COMPETITIVE PROCESS, LAB MEMBERS ALL RECEIVE A VITAL PROFESSIONAL NETWORK, ENTREPRENEURIAL AND LEADERSHIP TRAINING, FREE REHEARSAL SPACE, AND MOST SIGNIFICANTLY, OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION OF BOLD NEW WORK FOR THE STAGE. THE LAB HAS THREE MAIN GOALS: TO CULTIVATE THE WORK OF WOMEN+ ARTISTS OF ALL KINDS, TO GIVE THEM THE TOOLS THEY NEED TO SUCCEED IN THE BUSINESS, AND TO PRESENT THEIR WORK TO THE WORLD AND THEATER INDUSTRY THROUGH THE BIENNIAL PIPELINE FESTIVAL. THE LAB IS RECOGNIZED FIELD-WIDE AS THE PLACE TO FIND THE NEXT GENERATION OF THEATER TALENT. NEW PLAY DEVELOPMENT EACH SEASON ALSO INCLUDES WPS PLAY DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES, SUCH AS COMMISSIONING NEW WORK, OFFERING DEVELOPMENTAL READINGS AND WORKSHOPS, AND PARTNERING WITH LIKE-MINDED ORGANIZATIONS TO OFFER PUBLIC READING SERIES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. THESE ACTIVITIES HELP SUPPORT OUR ARTISTS CREATIVE PROCESSES, WHILE FOSTERING THE CREATION OF IN-PROGRESS WORKS FOR THE STAGE BY BOTH EMERGING AND SEASONED PLAYWRIGHT