A nationwide act of listening, one community at a time.

A nationwide act of listening, one community at a time.

October 23 through November 3

Before the midterm elections, people across the United States and beyond are invited to come together and share short plays exploring the state of democracy in America.

Democracy isn't only shaped at the ballot box. It's shaped wherever people gather to ask difficult questions, listen to one another, and imagine a different future. Women+ on the Edge of Democracy invites communities to spark those conversations in theaters, libraries, schools, community centers, and public spaces across the country.

Choose one play or several. Read them around a table, bring them into a classroom, share them onstage, or build them into a community gathering. No theatre experience or special staging is required.

If you're wondering what one person can do in a divided country, start by bringing people together.

Host a reading. Invite your neighbors. Make space for conversation.

Women+ on the Edge of Democracy

Initiated and commissioned by the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts

in partnership with the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize

taking place in communities around the country and the globe

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE

Anyone who can bring people together.

You don’t need to know anything about theatre to participate. At its simplest, choose a play, gather a few people, read it aloud together, and talk about what you heard.

Schools, libraries, colleges and universities, museums, faith communities, civic and advocacy organizations, community centers, book clubs, retirement communities, neighborhood groups, independent artists, and groups of friends are all welcome.

Whether you gather five people or five hundred, your event becomes part of a nationwide act of listening.

WHAT DOES PARTICIPATION LOOK LIKE?

There is no single model for participation. Every community will make this project its own.

You might:

  • Read a single ten-minute play with a class, book club, or group of friends.

  • Invite community members to read several plays aloud together.

  • Host a public reading at a library, school, theatre, museum, faith community, or civic space.

  • Pair a play with a conversation about the questions it raises.

  • Invite local artists, students, educators, scholars, organizers, or civic leaders to respond.

  • Present the full collection in one evening or over a series of events.

The plays are meant to be heard aloud, but this doesn’t need to feel like a theatre production. You don’t need actors, a director, sets, costumes, lighting, or technical equipment. You can simply gather around a table, pass out the pages, and read or listen.

You don't have to do this alone. Many participating communities are bringing together several organizations to create a shared event. The project is designed to be as collaborative and flexible as the conversations it hopes to inspire.

Learn more about participating

Meet the playwrights

Women+ on the Edge of Democracy gathers some of the most insightful playwrights of our time to witness, question, and illuminate this pivotal chapter in American civic life.

  • Black and white portrait of a woman with long hair, wearing earrings and a textured top, looking slightly to the side with a contemplative expression.

    Sarah Ruhl

  • Black and white portrait of a woman with braided hair, resting her chin on her hand, wearing a chunky necklace and ring, looking directly at the camera.

    Lynn Nottage

  • A woman with black hair wearing a denim dress standing in front of a brick wall background, leaning on a wooden handrail.

    Gupreet Kaur Bhatti

  • An elderly woman with white hair smiling and wearing a white shirt, sitting on a light yellow and gray couch.

    Elizabeth Diggs

  • Close-up of a young woman with dark hair styled in a messy bun, wearing earrings, with a serious expression against a dark red background.

    Justice Hehir

  • Close-up of a woman with curly dark hair, wearing glasses, smiling slightly, indoors near natural light.

    Migdalia Cruz

  • A woman with long, wavy reddish-brown hair sitting at a table, wearing a grey t-shirt with a graphic design, gold necklaces, holding a cup with a yellow polka dot pattern, in a room with black walls and red chairs.

    Stella Feehily

  • Close-up of a woman's face focusing on her cheek and eye, showing skin with freckles and small blemishes.

    Kimber Lee

  • A middle-aged woman with short brown hair, wearing a light blue top and a small gold necklace, standing outdoors in front of a brick building and looking into the distance.

    Moira Buffini

  • A young woman with glasses and short, curly hair smiling and sitting with her chin resting on her hand, wearing a denim jacket.

    Sarah Mantell

  • A woman with shoulder-length auburn hair is smiling and looking to her left outdoors, wearing a dark blue top and a white beaded necklace. The background includes green trees and other people.

    Lucy Caldwell

  • Close-up portrait of a middle-aged woman with short red hair, wearing a dark top, gold necklace, and earrings, smiling against a black background.

    Jane Anderson

  • A woman with brown hair wearing a blue hoodie standing on a sandy beach with patches of grass and water, with a body of water and distant land visible under an overcast sky.

    Judith Thompson

  • Black and white photo of a woman with curly hair speaking, her hand raised in a gesture, in a room with wooden walls.

    Leslie Avyazian

  • A woman smiling with bright pink lipstick wearing a mustard yellow headwrap and a light blue top. She is outdoors with a blurred garden background.

    Erika Dickerson-Despenza

  • Headshot of a smiling woman with blonde hair wearing a black top against a gray background.

    Bridget Carpenter

  • Paula Cizmar

  • A person with shoulder-length dark curly hair, wearing a black shirt and jacket, accessorized with gold chains and a septum piercing, sitting against a dark textured background.

    Else Went

  • Portrait of a young woman with light skin and blue eyes, wearing a brown plaid shirt, standing against a plain off-white wall.

    Hannah Doran

  • Close-up portrait of an older woman with short, gray hair, wearing makeup, a black top, and large earrings. She has a confident expression and is touching her neck with her right hand, which is adorned with a beaded bracelet.

    Ellen McLaughlin

  • A woman with reddish hair and light skin, wearing a black sleeveless top and gold jewelry, smiling at the camera, indoors with a plain white background.

    Jenny Schwartz

  • Portrait of a woman with short blond hair, round glasses, and a serious expression, wearing a checkered jacket in shades of brown and orange against a black background.

    Zinnie Harris

  • A woman wearing a beige sunhat and black coat, smiling outdoors with green foliage in the background.

    Beth Henley

  • A woman with blonde hair and a septum piercing standing in front of lush green foliage. She is wearing a floral top with cutouts and a decorative white trim.

    Haruna Lee

  • A woman with short red hair and blue eyes, wearing a floral patterned top and a silver necklace, standing in front of a blue background.

    Rebecca Lenkiewicz

  • A woman with short hair, wearing large glasses, colorful beaded earrings, and a cross necklace, smiling at the camera against a plain background.

    a.k. payne

  • Close-up of a smiling woman with shoulder-length brown hair and red lipstick, indoors near a window with blinds and some greenery visible outside.

    Lisa Loomer

  • A middle-aged woman with glasses and long, wavy brown hair smiling at the camera, with a blurred outdoor background.

    Deb Margolin

  • A woman with blonde hair wearing a red blouse and blue jeans, sitting on a worn wooden bench outside a storefront with neon signs and graffiti, smiling and looking to her right.

    Heidi Schreck

  • Black and white portrait of a woman with long braided hair, looking at the camera with a serious expression.

    Dael Orlandersmith

  • A woman with shoulder-length gray hair smiling, wearing a white shirt, a gray vest, and a colorful jewelry necklace, standing in front of a bookshelf filled with various books.

    Susan Miller

  • A woman with long blonde hair smiling and resting her hand on her forehead, wearing a black sleeveless top and jewelry, indoors with a blurred ceiling background.

    Heather Raffo

  • Smiling elderly woman with short gray hair and glasses, wearing a black leather jacket with orange shirt, leaning against a white wall.

    Rona Munro

  • Portrait of a young woman with braided dreadlocks and hoop earrings, standing against an orange background.

    Ife Olujobi

  • A woman with shoulder-length blonde hair, wearing a black top with rolled-up sleeves, standing with her hands on her hips in front of wooden louvered panels.

    Elizabeth Kuti

  • A woman with long dark hair and pink highlights, wearing glasses and a shiny pink blouse, sitting on a dark blue couch with a pink background.

    Lauren M. Gunderson

MEET ALL THE PLAYWRIGHTS
“At its heart, this is about how practicing democracy requires holding space for reflection, discussion, curiosity, and the questions we cannot ignore.”
— Jay Wahl, Executive Director of the Flynn
Cropped section of a blue graphic in a rough, hand-drawn shape of the continental U.S. with "Women+ on the Edge of Democracy" filling the space in white hand-drawn all-caps letters.