Stage Femmes: New Theater Group Promotes Girl Power

New semester, new theater group. That seems to be the theme on this theater-centric campus that now boasts seven theater groups, last semester’s addition being Billy Shakes. This semester’s new theater group, “Stage Femmes,” the revival of a group that thrived on campus in the 90s, is the brainchild of Emma Miller (’15) and Julia Greer (’15).  

But why did Kenyon need more dramatics? Lots of reasons, according to Emma Miller.  “We had the idea of a women’s theater before we had the idea of Stage Femmes,” Miller says. “There’s a whole canon of plays that we go to for main stage shows that are really male driven, and I think that’s a shame.” At Kenyon, with its 53/47 female to male ratio that seems to be leaning increasingly toward female each year, and where one of the largest departments is drama, the demand for female theater is extremely high. Stage Femmes aims to fill the need for more prominent female work in theater. “I think there are so many talented women on this campus and so many talented women in the world, and I think their stories and voices get lost…[it’s] our responsibility as women who are pursuing theater to try and make a space for that,” Miller says.

Making a space for women in theater is something Stage Femmes aims to do not  just by producing theater with all-female casts, but by producing work that celebrates women: strong female characters, a female playwright, or plays that highlight gender issues.  In addition to the plays they produce, Stage Femmes will also host improv workshops, playwriting workshops, and other programming to foster not just a new theater group, but a new culture.  “If people have an idea about a way to get involved, we want them to tell us” Miller says. “I hope [we can] encourage people who haven’t tried something theatrical before to try it, in making [Stage Femmes] a safe and inviting space…and I’m hoping it will create a groove on this campus for women’s work.”
The groove is already being dug, as the first Stage Femmes show is already cast and rehearsing.  Their first show will be the musical “Post Grad,” written by senior drama major Beth Hyland, set to go up the weekend of February 22nd. An improv workshop led by Natalie Margolin (’14) will be held on Tuesday, January 29th, at 8pm in Peirce Pub, and a playwriting workshop led by Madeline Jobrack (’13) will be held on Thursday, February 7th, at 8pm in Peirce Pub.
And so Stage Femmes, which ruled the Kenyon Campus in the 90s, returns.  It’s being happily welcomed in the theater community, but why now? “It’s something people want to do when they’re frustrated, like if there are no roles for women.  And if they don’t feel that way, then they don’t feel like there is a need for it” Miller says, “So part of our goal is that we want to fill the need, but we also want to say…I don’t think there can ever be too many venues for people [to try theater]”.

Find them on Twitter @stagefemmes or online!