Women and Hollywood

Julie Taymor Speaks Out

Blogs

Julie Taymor has not been able to speak out since she was removed as director of Spiderman over a year ago. The legal documents have been speaking for her. But it looks like she is finally trying to reclaim her voice and gave an interview to Newsweek about all the trauma that has gone on since her scapegoating and firing.

By Melissa Silverstein
|
May 21, 2012 11:30 AM
|
1 Comment

More:

Hollywood Feminist Couple of the Day: Idina Menzel and Taye Diggs

Blogs

The singing and acting couple (did you know they met while performing in the original company of Rent?) have started A Broader Way Foundation which created a camp for girls focusing on the creative arts and leadership development. Last year they took 31 girls from underserved neighborhoods in the NYC area up to the Berkshire mountains for a 10 day experience that culminated with a full recital.

By Melissa Silverstein
|
May 9, 2012 10:11 AM
|
0 Comments

More:

Tony Nominations: Good for Female Directors, Horrible for Female Writers

Blogs

Last June after a season where not a single female playwright was produced on Broadway it was announced that there would be at least five women with plays in the just ended 2011-2012 season. Four of the expected plays opened: The Mountaintop by Katori Hall, Stick Fly by Lydia R. Diamond, Relatively Speaking co-written by Elaine May and Seminar by Theresa Rebeck.

By Melissa Silverstein
|
May 2, 2012 9:42 AM
|
1 Comment

More:

The Guthrie Theatre Announces Its 50th Anniversary Season With No Female Playwrights on the Program

Blogs

The Guthrie Theatre is one of the most prestigious regional theatres in America. Next year it will be celebrating it's 50th anniversary season. Joe Dowling, the 7th Artistic director of the theatre (which by the way has never had a female artistic director) recently announced the program for this very important upcoming season and there is not a SINGLE female playwright on the list for the main stages. (I also just consulted Wikipedia and the Guthrie also had no female playwrights in the 2011-2012 season.) And not only are there no women, there are also no plays by any people of color. So their whole celebratory season marking this seminal anniversary will be populated completely by white men.

By Melissa Silverstein
|
April 30, 2012 10:11 AM
|
2 Comments

More:

Cate Blanchett is Busy Working Just Not on the Big Screen

Blogs

If you've been wondering where Cate Blanchett has been over the last couple of years you are not alone. She's been working -- hard -- running the very prestigious Sydney Theatre Company with her husband writer Andrew Upton.

By Melissa Silverstein
|
March 29, 2012 11:24 AM
|
0 Comments

More:

Julie Taymor Responds to Lawsuit Fighting for Her Reputation and Future Jobs

Blogs

There is nothing like reading legal papers on a Monday morning to get your blood boiling. Late last week Julie Taymor's lawyers responded to the part of the Spiderman lawsuit that has not been settled and in those papers there is a lot of information about how her collaborators conspired against her to make changes in the show without telling her and then decided to fire her because by doing that they could have a fall guy and then raise more money to make the show successful.

By Melissa Silverstein
|
March 5, 2012 12:30 PM
|
1 Comment

More:

Jennifer Haley Wins 2012 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize

Blogs

US based playwright Jennifer Haley has been awarded the 2012 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, the most prestigious award for female playwrights for her play The Nether. She prevailed over 9 other finalists. Actress Imogene Stubbs handed out the $20,000 prize on behalf of the international jury.

By Melissa Silverstein
|
March 1, 2012 11:52 AM
|
1 Comment

More:

Julie Taymor and Spiderman Reach Partial Settlement

Blogs

It's always interesting how the filing of the lawsuits get so much news and the settlements...not so much, but this one is important to note.

By Melissa Silverstein
|
February 21, 2012 12:15 PM
|
1 Comment

More:

Ten Finalists for the 2012 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize

Blogs

Now in it's 34th year, this is the most prestigious prize for female playwrights. It's like the female Pulitzer. It's a way for female playwrights to get noticed, since they are stil not produced in equal number to their male peers.

By Melissa Silverstein
|
February 2, 2012 11:15 AM
|
0 Comments

More:

Interview with Dori Berinstein - Director of Carol Channing: Larger Than Life

Features

Women and Hollywood: You've been a producer of Broadway shows for a number of years. How did you segue into becoming a documentary filmmaker?

By Melissa Silverstein
|
January 20, 2012 12:10 PM
|
0 Comments

More: