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ENC 1102H
representation on the Broadway stage in this most recent season. The two
Soloski, are both frequent writers for the New York Times, and the nature of
their work as individuals includes reviews, theatre news, opinion pieces, and
since 1993, has worked as both a writer and an editor for several different
Columbia University back in 2005. Alexis Soloski frequently writes for both
The New York Times and other well-known publications, such as The
This edited version of their conversation, published by the New York Times to
their website and in the print edition of their paper on June 5th, 2016, came
forth just a few days before the 2016 Tony Awards took place. As noted, this
piece has been edited from the original conversation, and there is no way to
know exactly the degree to which statements might have been amended or
what sort of things were omitted, whether it be minor filler words adapted or
loudly been hailed in recent months for its ethnically diverse productions,
as well as the revival of the musical The Color Purple, just to name a few. In
light of the then upcoming Tony Awards, and the ongoing praise of the
seasons ethnic and racial diversity as well as the use of female creative
teams as selling points, the two women take a critical look at the gender
women, with the online publication of the article including the occasional
insert of an image, and ultimately, it argues that the number of women, both
onstage and off, has lots of room to grow, and that the depictions of women
desired of the gender parity on the Broadway stage. Despite the increase in
shows that are being led by female characters, the emotional and character
what has been done before, or does not paint an accurate picture of
womanhood or the variety of women and their strengths. They also discuss
the focus that is put on a womans relationship to her children or the men in
her life, and often her worth or wholeness in direct relation to her children.
The largest degree of support provided in the article for their argument
is simply their own expert testimony these are two women who not only are
able to approach the subject through the lens of their own experience of
womanhood, but who are also well educated and have built their careers in
the world of theatre, and particularly in discussing theatre. That being said,
the fact that both contributors to this article on the portrayal of women
even acknowledges at one point that the both of them tend to favor shows
subjective judgements but the way in which their own lives and careers craft
becomes more of a debate regarding overt sexism than the article directly
their lives, help to indicate to the audience that this conversation extends far
beyond simple theatre critique conversations like this are easily found in
specific to the field and the discourse communities they are touching on,
such as a reference to the Bechdel test, a standard frequently used in
characters and the exact content of their interactions. In order to pass, there
must be at least two named women, they must talk to each other, and their
Soloski use it to discuss the two main women in Hamilton, and then proceed
nature of the relationship between the Schuyler sisters, and the way they
hold their own on an equal intellectual playing field with Hamilton himself,
the Bechdel tests qualifiers are not the most ideal to put this show up
against. While Hamilton fails to pass the test, the arcs and relationships of its
such as Indecent by Paula Vogel and Revolt. She said. Revolt Again. by
Alice Birch, they start the discussion of these successful shows and the way
they crafted diverse, well rounded, and deep female characters, and the
unusual and honest way they were presented. Broadway is considered the
and Collins-Hughes are demonstrating that the need for better female
characters on Broadway is not hindered by what some might consider a lack
person, any reader of the New York Times or its theatre section an in-depth
argument the women are making, as there are links provided to information
about each show and the discussion of plot is explained enough, and coming
from a credible enough source, that a reader with no knowledge of the shows
can still follow the argument and the evidence that the shows provide. In
their conversation, Collin-Hughes and Soloski note the way in which certain
shows, such as Waitress, have used the fact that the show originated from an
becomes clear that both feel that while strides have been made in dealing
with the racial disparity on Broadway, the way that women interact both
onstage and offstage with productions are, for the most part, lacking, though
remark Next season, Id like to see women suffer a little less and run the
world a little more. In this past Broadway season, the emotional and
their relation to men, or their suffering, and women deserve a much broader
these matters. Additionally, they briefly touch on the idea of casting women
conjunction to the testimony provided by these two women, the article gives
But Is It Woman Enough?" The New York Times. The New York Times, 31 May
<https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/05/theater/women-on-broadway-a-year-
of-living-dangerously.html>.