Madison theatres put the spotlight on women
By Samantha Georgson | Photo Courtesy Music Theatre of Madison
Madison aims to turn the controversial history that is women in theater on its head, as these fabulously feminist playhouses make room for a new kind of female lead.
KATHIE RASMUSSEN WOMEN’S THEATRE
The Kathie Rasmussen Theatre, or KRASS Theatre, is focused on “promoting female playwrights and directors,” says Jan Levine Thal, the Artistic Director at KRASS. “Something we have tried to do is increase representation,” she says. “It’s important for our audience to see through a more diverse lens.”
December marks the start of the next big show at KRASS, which tells the tale of one working woman, her mixed family, and her struggle to success. After the Revolution, written and directed by Amy Herzog, follows the story Emma Joseph—who is working for a non-profit in New York—and the many challenges she faces both in her professional and family life.
MUSIC THEATRE OF MADISON
Because musical theater is still such a young art form, “a lot of the great pieces are still yet to come,” says Meghan Randolph, co-founder of the Music Theatre of Madison. When looking for their next pioneering show, she thought of the typical love stories that women are written into and decided to challenge herself, “What other stories can we tell through musicals?”
This fall, MTM will be putting together a cluster of traveling pieces entitled Beyond the Ingénue, which details the lives of multiple female characters with diverse upbringings and experiences. This show aims to go beyond the typical “girl-next-door” character-type in order to highlight the many intricate female personalities reflective of today’s modern women.
