The National Women’s Theatre Festival (WTF), the nation’s largest symposium on gender and theatre, is now accepting applications for their 2023 festival which will be presented in person at the North Carolina State University’s Frank Thompson Hall (2241 Dunn Ave, Raleigh, NC 27606) and virtually all over the world, June 21-July 1, 2023.
2023 marks the 8th annual National Women’s Theatre Festival. Each year the festival celebrates gender parity and all things theatre with performances, workshops, community conversations, and other events.
“This year we’re bringing back ALL your favorite programs – WTFringe, WTFCon, WTFamily, and the WTFringe Lab for Directors + Producers,” said Executive Artistic Director Johannah Edwards. “We’re thrilled to be partnering once again with NC State University Theatre who will host Festival ‘23 as part of their annual TheatreFEST month of programming.”
The National Women’s Theatre Festival is currently accepting production proposals for the 2023 WTFringe Fest, a performance festival spanning two weekends of the 8th Annual National Women’s Theatre Festival. Proposals for in-person productions, virtual productions, and hybrid productions will be accepted for consideration. Proposals should be 20-90 minutes with no intermission. We seek production proposals that are experimental, innovative, and collaborative—works that push boundaries and embrace parity.
Interested WTFringe Fest artists should submit their proposals before March 12.
Please visit https://bit.ly/WTFringe2023 for more information on how to apply.
WTFringe Lab is a virtual training program culminating with an in-person production. WTFringe Lab is a professional boot camp for theater makers where participants gain a deep and extensive amount of MFA-adjacent training in a short amount of time. It’s a radical infusion of directing/producing knowledge for those who wish to receive further training in theatre but who may not have the time, money, or access to pursue an MFA at this time. WTFringe Lab is a key component of National WTF’s mission to contribute to the pipeline of theatre artists working towards accessibility and parity in our industry.
For WTFringe Lab ‘23, a single cohort of 10-20 Directors + Producers will engage in a series of virtual training seminars and practically apply the knowledge by collaboratively creating and executing a program in person for the 2023 WTFringe Festival. Participants can attend the majority of the program virtually (all seminars and practicums). The capstone of the Lab will be the production of a program in-person at the WTFringe Festival in Raleigh, NC.
Interested WTFringe Lab artists should submit their application before 11:59 pm on February 1. Please visit https://bit.ly/WTFringeLab2023 for more information on how to apply.
WTFCon23 is WTF’s annual educational conference, part of Festival ‘23. WTFCon is a place for our community to connect and learn with each other, advocate for our needs and the needs we see around us, more deeply, intentionally, and thoughtfully explore our work, and surround ourselves with others who champion gender parity and equity in our field.
For more information on how to apply for WTF Con please visit https://bit.ly/WTFCon23 and submit your application by March 5.
The mission of the National Women’s Theatre Festival is to create, produce, and promote extraordinary theatre by women and artists of all underrepresented genders with the ultimate goal of 100% parity in the US theatre industry. They gather artists from NC & across the nation at their annual events, helping to create a pipeline of extraordinary talent that will revolutionize theatre as we know it. Since its founding in 2016, the National Women’s Theatre Festival (WTF) has produced 23 mainstage theatrical productions, 64 Fringe-style shows, and over 125 staged readings, all featuring theatre created, produced, and promoted by women and other underrepresented gender artists. They’ve hosted over 250 workshops and panels, ranging from technical and artistic training seminars to conversations around diversity and inclusion in theater with local and national experts. Their signature event is an annual summer festival of plays, workshops, and all things theatre based out of Raleigh, NC. Throughout the year, National WTF also offers virtual and in-person community engagement events and workshops, presents fully produced work, commissions new plays, offers intern and apprentice opportunities, and partners with other organizations to uplift underrepresented artists and amplify their work. WTF also develops new works, such as The Momversations Project play and podcast. WTF creates opportunities for underrepresented gender theatre makers to develop and practice skills in a supportive and creative environment, and to have their talents recognized. www.womenstheatrefestival.com
