PROJECT Y THEATRE INC

The Women in Theatre Festival 2023 seeks to broaden the opportunities for women in the entertainment industry by producing new work by women with more than 50% female representation of all artists involved. There are 3 major programming initiatives as part of the Festival: the world premiere Yoga with Jillian by Lia Romeo featuring Michole Biancosino and directed by Andrew W Smith, the All Hands on Deck Reading Series (Conceived by Antu Yacob) which featured new commissioned work by female playwrights of the African Diaspora (Playwrights: Judy Tate, Marie-Francoise Theodore and Shamar White and directed by Tonia Anderson and Noell LuSane), Hrosthwitha Project, which is aimed at reclaiming and celebrating the history of women in theatre. We commissioned adaptations of a play by the first woman playwright, 10th century abbess, Hrosthwitha of Gandersham from playwrights Liz Appel, Enid Graham, Yong Yong Li, Colleen ODoherty, and Deepa Purohit and directed by Rachel Dart and Kimille Howard. In addition, there were a number of one-night new play readings, including work by Eliza Bent, Beth Ann Powers, Amina Henry, Julia Blauvelt, Chris Reisig, and the Bellweather Project. In addition, the Women in Theatre Festival also hosted an evening of writing by women playwrights 40 or over. Through a submission and selection process, we have chosen an evening of monologues to be read by the playwrights and a company of actors. The playwrights that were a part of this were: Liz Amadio, Caytha Jentis, Anne Valentino, Julie Weinberg, Yvette Heyliger, Eve Cohen, Dana Leslie Goldstein, Ashley Minihan, Shellen Lubin, Angela Page, Serena Norr, Jessica Feder-Birnbaum, and J. Lois Diamond. The Festival took place from June 3-17 at The Gural Theatre at 502 West 53rd Street, NYC.

Yoga with Jillian by Lia Romeo: In this immersive play yoga teacher Jillian plans to take the audience through an amazing, incredible, fantastic, one hour yoga journey. But the past couple of years have been tough, am I right? As Jillian tries to teach again in our changed world, the shiny, happy yoga teacher attempts to keep the class, and herself, from completely imploding. In 2023, we took this show to 2 performances in Colorado, and then to the Endinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland where it ran for 27 performances in 28 days in August 2023 at the Pleasance Courtyard. It featured Michole Biancosino and was Directed by Andrew Smith.