Counting Actors: Poetry Edition!

Poet, Fiction Writer, Playwright, Editor and Translator Lyn Coffin has written this poem, inspired by the Counting Actors project, and has generously allowed me to share it here!

Playwright Gender Math:

a poem drowning in numbers

2012's first hundred shows in San Francisco bay

let's look at the statistics- consider what they say:

18 of these 100 shows were "classics, " so we're told--

written before 1960-- meaning really old;

contemporary shows we know then numbered 82

66 were written in this century, so "new."

some shows had several writers: 95 wrote 82,

78 wrote 66- am I confusing you?

50 new show writers classified as being male

28 were women - This is playwright gender "fail."

of all contemporary playwrights, men were 66,

29 were women-- It's a problem we should fix.

women playwrights, you are needed,

far too long, you've gone unheeded

reach and teach and touch and free us

make a history to see us

from your wisdom, fashion plays

to inform, delight, amaze

women writers for the stage,

sing your love, your sex, your age

Be undaunted in your seeing,

breathe your mystery into being 

in your work the wise rejoice

raise in strength your woman's voice

Lyn will be reading her poem at a Seattle SWAN day event featuring readings of new plays by Puget Sound area female playwrights.  If you're in that area, here are event details.

She's let me know that this version of the poem is a draft, and welcomes reactions, critique, suggestions.  Leave those below!