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Meryl Streep joins feminist protest over 'bias' at Dublin's Abbey theatre Meryl Streep joins feminist protest over 'bias' at Dublin's Abbey theatre
(34 minutes later)
Hollywood stars including the actor Meryl Streep and director Wim Wenders have lent their support to feminist protests at Ireland’s most famous theatre over a male-dominated series of plays to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising. Hollywood stars, including the actor Meryl Streep and director Wim Wenders, have lent their support to feminist protests at Ireland’s most famous theatre over a male-dominated series of plays to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising.
Ahead of a protest outside the Abbey theatre in Dublin on Thursday, an array of actors and playwrights took to social media to show solidarity with the #wakingthefeminists movement founded in response to the Abbey’s decision to include only one play by a woman in its commemorative season. Ahead of a protest outside the Abbey theatre in Dublin on Thursday, an array of actors and playwrights took to social media to show solidarity with the #wakingthefeminists movement, founded in response to the Abbey’s decision to include only one play by a woman in its commemorative season.
A photograph of Streep – currently appearing in cinemas as Emmeline Pankhurst in Abi Morgan’s film Suffragette – alongside the US actor Christine Baranski was published on Twitter, with a message reading: “I support Irish women in Irish theatre.”A photograph of Streep – currently appearing in cinemas as Emmeline Pankhurst in Abi Morgan’s film Suffragette – alongside the US actor Christine Baranski was published on Twitter, with a message reading: “I support Irish women in Irish theatre.”
Meryl Streep, Christine Baranski, Laoisa Sexton and @lisatk are #WakingTheFeminists @WTFeminists @lianbell pic.twitter.com/dJyOIl7k5PMeryl Streep, Christine Baranski, Laoisa Sexton and @lisatk are #WakingTheFeminists @WTFeminists @lianbell pic.twitter.com/dJyOIl7k5P
Since it opened its doors in 1904 the theatre in Dublin’s Lower Abbey Street has been the creative hub for some of Ireland’s most famous dramatists and writers including WB Yeats, Sean O’Casey and JM Synge.Since it opened its doors in 1904 the theatre in Dublin’s Lower Abbey Street has been the creative hub for some of Ireland’s most famous dramatists and writers including WB Yeats, Sean O’Casey and JM Synge.
But female writers, artists, playwrights and producers claim there is a longstanding gender bias at the Abbey, as well as at other major Irish arts institutions. The decision to have only one play by a female writer out of 10 in its Waking the Nation programme underlines suspicions that women are sidelined by Ireland’s national theatre, say feminist campaigners.But female writers, artists, playwrights and producers claim there is a longstanding gender bias at the Abbey, as well as at other major Irish arts institutions. The decision to have only one play by a female writer out of 10 in its Waking the Nation programme underlines suspicions that women are sidelined by Ireland’s national theatre, say feminist campaigners.
Since the row erupted last month, Fiach Mac Conghail, director at the Abbey Theatre, has written to #wakingthefeminists regretting the programme’s “gender in-balance”. In a letter to the movement, Mac Conghail said: “The fact that I haven’t programmed a new play by a female playwright is not something I can defend. Since the row erupted last month, Fiach Mac Conghail, director at the Abbey, has written to #wakingthefeminists regretting the programme’s gender imbalance. In a letter to the movement, Mac Conghail said: “The fact that I haven’t programmed a new play by a female playwright is not something I can defend.
“This experience has presented a professional challenge to me as a programmer and has made me question the filters and factors that influence my decision-making. “This experience has presented a professional challenge to me as a programmer and has made me question the filters and factors that influence my decision making.
“I believe we have made improvements in advocating for and promoting female artists of all disciplines at the Abbey Theatre since 2005 but there is still a long way to go.” “I believe we have made improvements in advocating for and promoting female artists of all disciplines at the Abbey theatre since 2005 but there is still a long way to go.”
Related: Irish theatre abounds with brilliant women – unlike the Abbey's programmeRelated: Irish theatre abounds with brilliant women – unlike the Abbey's programme
Sinéad Gleeson, editor of The Long Gaze Back, a new anthology of 30 Irish female writers (eight dead and 22 living), said the #wakingthefeminist movement and Thursday’s protest inside the Abbey had cracked open “the culture of control and fear about not getting your work commissioned and therefore not speaking out about gender imbalance throughout the Irish arts”.Sinéad Gleeson, editor of The Long Gaze Back, a new anthology of 30 Irish female writers (eight dead and 22 living), said the #wakingthefeminist movement and Thursday’s protest inside the Abbey had cracked open “the culture of control and fear about not getting your work commissioned and therefore not speaking out about gender imbalance throughout the Irish arts”.
Gleeson added: “One actress speaker on the stage said that in terms of #wakingthefeminists they have been an insomniac since the 1970s. A lot of people who work in the theatre said they were fed up with this, that we are half the population and you are not telling our stories.Gleeson added: “One actress speaker on the stage said that in terms of #wakingthefeminists they have been an insomniac since the 1970s. A lot of people who work in the theatre said they were fed up with this, that we are half the population and you are not telling our stories.
“This has always gone on with the power in the theatre and the arts resting with the ‘dead white male’ playwrights. No one is knocking their work but this is always the stuff that gets put on. Up until a few people on social media raised objections about ‘Waking The Nation’ and the gender imbalance everyone was holding their tongues. Today felt like a very special moment when the fear had gone and women spoke up.”“This has always gone on with the power in the theatre and the arts resting with the ‘dead white male’ playwrights. No one is knocking their work but this is always the stuff that gets put on. Up until a few people on social media raised objections about ‘Waking The Nation’ and the gender imbalance everyone was holding their tongues. Today felt like a very special moment when the fear had gone and women spoke up.”
So many people turned up to hear 90-second speeches on the stage at the Abbey from 30 members of #wakingthefeminists on Thursday that their statements had to be piped out via loudspeakers to the crowds listening outside in Lower Abbey Street. So many people turned up to hear 90-second speeches on the stage at the Abbey from 30 members of #wakingthefeminists on Thursday, that their statements had to be piped out via loudspeakers to the crowds listening outside in Lower Abbey Street.