Statistics cited in Collaboraction Theatre Company's world premiere of Gender Breakdown shed light on hiring parity across theater professions during Chicago's 2015- 2016 theater season.
The research was undertaken by Kay Kron and Mariah Schultz as a part of Kron's Master Thesis at DePaul University. The study includes the full Jeff eligible season for Equity and Non-Equity theaters nominated for a Jeff Award in any category during Chicago's 2015-16 theater season. ( Musicals were not included, because their generally larger cast sizes would have made them overly influential on the overall percentages. )
In total, the study encompassed 52 theatres, collects statistics on over 250 plays, resulting in over 4,500 data points.
Top findings include:
Playwrights - 25% of shows produced had female authorship
Directors - 36% of shows produced had female directors
Actors - 43% of actors hired were female
Lighting Designers - 35% of lighting designers were female
Scenic Designers - 30% of set designers were female
Costume Designers - 89% of costume designers were female
Sound Designers - 12% of sound designers were female
Stage Managers - 75% of stage managers were female
Artistic Directors - 38% of artistic directors were female
Managing Directors - 61% of managing directors were female
About Gender Breakdown
Disappointing stats like these and how the recent presidential election put misogyny and gender equity squarely in the media spotlight spurred 10 female identified performers and an all-female identified production and design team to devise Gender Breakdown.
A compilation of true, absurd, uncomfortable and gut-punching stories culled from more than 200 Chicago theater artists, Collaboraction Theatre Company's first world premiere of 2017 is a response to the lack of gender equity on and offstage.
Vivid tales of violence, miseducation, segregation, and the ongoing disrespect and marginalization of women - even in Chicago's acclaimed theater industry - pull back the curtain on real issues of misogyny, gender politics and racism within the theater industry and beyond.
Ultimately, via deeply personal stories from training, auditions, and the rehearsal room, Gender Breakdown theatricalizes the question "How is this possible, that in 2017, females are still marginalized in our community?"
Gender Breakdown is created by Dani Bryant and directed by Erica Vannon. Previews are Thursday through Saturday, February 16-18 at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, February 19 at 3 p.m., and Tuesday, February 21 at 7:30 p.m. Preview tickets are only $5.
Performances run through March 19: Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 3 p.m. No show Thursday, February 23.
Industry Town Halls are Monday, February 27 and March 13 at 7:30 p.m.
Gender Breakdown is presented in The Vault at Collaboraction Studios in the Flat Iron Arts Building, 1579 N. Milwaukee Ave., in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood. Single tickets to performances are $20-30; $10-$15 for students, educators and industry.
For tickets and information, visit collaboraction.org or call ( 312 ) 226-9633 .
