The annual catalog has been retooled to highlight the support system necessary for parity in the American theatre.
By Margaret Hall | October 10, 2023
Continuing its mission to achieve parity in the American theatre, the independent, L.A.- and NYC-based collective The Kilroys has retooled its annual list.
After nearly 10 years of utilizing The List as a tool for producers committed to ending the systemic underrepresentation of women, trans, and non-binary playwrights in the American theatre, The List has been renamed The Web.
“There has been a lot of talk recently about the trouble that American Theatre is in right now, and while we totally share those concerns, it’s not in our nature to abandon all hope,” said Chelsea Marcantel, a member of The Kilroys. “There are so many people who are a part of the collaborative process of making new American Theater—and lots of them are still fighting the good fight. We want the world to know who they are. Post-pandemic, the Kilroys started looking not toward the individual, but the collective—and The Web was born.”
The Web was created by directors, literary directors, managers, and creative theatre makers from across the United States who champion plays they believe in that have had one or fewer professional productions. Champions are defined as advocates and collaborators who support The Kilroys’ mission to creating parity in the theatre while promoting underrepresented voices. To further expand the list, The Kilroys then asked the playwrights to recommend two individuals they considered champions of their work. All of the playwrights, their plays, and their champions have been laid out on this interactive Web of connection.
The current Kilroys cohort includes Jaclyn Backhaus, Hilary Bettis, Jennifer Chambers, Claudia de Vasco, Emma Goidel, Christina Ham, Jessica Hanna, Monet Hurst-Mendoza, Hansol Jung, Chelsea Marcantel, Caroline V. McGraw, Bianca Sams, and Gina Young.
