Counting Actors February 2013

Since I started asking for show stats in June 2011, this project has now logged 236.  The Counting Actors Info Page has info on how to submit show stats yourself, as well as links to past posts in this series.

Theatre Bay Area magazine staff have let me know that they'll be running my article with analysis of and reactions to the Counting Actors data in their May/June issue of the magazine.  In the twitter-verse, I've seen a few folks use the hashtag #countingactors to share this information, and some great discussions about gender parity and season planning are happening with the hashtag #femtheatre

8 shows counted:

Word for Word/You Know When the Men are Gone (this company presents short fiction as theater, so the F writer represented here is actually a fiction writer, not a playwright)

Tanya Shaeffer/The Fourth Messenger (not sure if I'm accurately representing the producer /company here - I believe this is self-produced by the playwright, with crowdfunding help - can't find a production company name in any of the materials.  Project has 2 women writers - one book/lyrics, one lyrics music. Director and Music Director both male.)

Magic Theatre/Se Llama Cristina 

Altarena Playhouse/God of Carnage

Impact/As You Like It (in this production a male actor plays Celia as male, and characters of LeBeau, Jacques and both Dukes are played by women as female characters)

SFPlayhouse/MotherF)*%er with the Hat

African-American Shakespeare Festival/Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (this production features an all African-American/multi-racial cast)

CenterREP/Old Wicked Songs

The Stats:

5 male directors, 5 female directors

5 male writers, 4 female writers

58 total actors

32 men, 26 women

17 equity actors, 41 non-equity actors

11 union men, 6 union women

57 local actors, 1 non-local actor

Many many thanks to the cast members, audience members, and directors who reported statistics, who include: Arwen Andersen, Anne Hallinan, Amy Clare Tasker, Melissa Hillman, Jeanette Harrison, Phoebe Moyer, Sharon Huff and Karen Thomson Hall.

If you've seen a show or are working on a show with March performances that hasn't already been reported here, please share the stats.  And I'm hoping you'll continue to talk about the numbers with your colleagues at rehearsal, the staff meeting, in the dressing room, the post-show hangout, and using whatever social media you frequent.