Fifty-four theaters and organizations across 30 states have confirmed participation in Women+ on the Edge of Democracy, a national civic initiative organized by the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts in partnership with The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. The project features newly commissioned works by acclaimed women+ playwrights examining the current state of democracy in the United States ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Participating venues will host free public readings and performances between October 23 and November 3, 2026. Participating groups range from professional theaters and university departments to retirement communities, libraries, and independent artist gatherings.
The initiative includes a collection of more than 30 original plays written by award-winning playwrights, including Lynn Nottage, Sarah Ruhl, Heidi Schreck, Beth Henley, and Dael Orlandersmith. Participating organizations may choose to present individual works, select pieces, or the entire anthology. The historic world premiere of the full collection will take place at the Flynn on Saturday, October 24.
Performance rights are waived for all non-profit organizations staging the plays free of charge during the eleven-day event window. Theatre Communications Group will publish the play collection in anthology format on November 3, with advance digital copies provided to participating groups.
The project is led by Flynn Center Executive Director Jay Wahl and Susan Smith Blackburn Prize Executive Director Leslie Swackhamer. Dramaturgical support for the initiative is provided by Martine Kei Green-Rogers, Sarah Mantell, Amrita Ramanan, Zeina Salame, and Jenny Worton, with original artwork created by Paula Scher of Pentagram.
Paricipating venues
| tiny_Theatre | Alabama |
| Perseverance Theatre | Alaska |
| With Love, Alaska | Alaska |
| The Moxie with partner organizations around San Diego | California |
| University of Southern California: Visions and Voices, Arts in Action, and Institute for Theatre and Social Change | California |
| (Unofficial) Obama Alumni in Los Angeles | California |
| Athena Project Arts | Colorado |
| The Ensemble Company | Florida |
| The Alliance Theater | Georgia |
| American Blues Theater | Illinois |
| Pipe Dreams Studio Theatre | Illinois |
| A group of organizers in Chicago | Illinois |
| Shades of Orange | Indiana |
| Salon-style reading event at Maceli’s Lounge organized by Theresa Buchheister and Jane Barnette, with a lot of help from our friends. | Kansas |
| Centre College | Kentucky |
| A classroom in Eastern Kentucky | Kentucky |
| Mount Holyoke College | Massachusetts |
| Shakespeare & Company | Massachusetts |
| Twin Cities Theatres, including: Frank Theatre, Full Circle Theatre, Mixed Blood, Prime Productions, Sod House, Ten Thousand Things, Theatre in the Round Players, The Capri | Minnesota |
| A group of community members in the Twin Cities | Minnesota |
| Southwest Minnesota State University, Entertainment & Theatre Arts Program | Minnesota |
| New Stage Theater | Mississippi |
| Vivid Stage | New Jersey |
| Vivia Font | New Jersey |
| A collection of theater makers connected with a variety of organizations in Albuquerque | New Mexico |
| Helen Rynaski in Taos, New Mexico | New Mexico |
| Alleyway Theatre | New York |
| Dixon Place (presented by Miranda Jackel) | New York |
| Syracuse Stage + Redhouse Arts Center + Breadcrumbs Productions + Department of Drama at Syracuse University | New York |
| Professional Children’s School | New York |
| SUNY Brockport Department of Theatre & Music Studies | New York |
| A group of organizers in NYC | New York |
| Wake Forest University, Department of Theatre and Dance and Anthony Aston Players | North Carolina |
| Broadview Heights Spotlights | Ohio |
| Ohio University School of Theater | Ohio |
| OKC Rep Theater | Oklahoma |
| 100 Lives Repertory | Oregon |
| Carpenters’ Hall and Theatre Exile | Pennsylvania |
| WomensWork Theatre Collaborative | Rhode Island |
| Augustana University Theatre Department | South Dakota |
| Rec Room Arts (Happy Hour Readings) | Texas |
| Academy for the Visual & Performing Arts at Texas A&M University | Texas |
| The Flynn | Vermont |
| Dream Stages | Vermont |
| Middlebury College and Town Hall Theater | Vermont |
| First Congregational Church of St. Albans | Vermont |
| Shenandoah University-Shenandoah Conservatory BFA Acting Program | Virginia |
| Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Theatre and Dance | Virginia |
| SIS Productions | Washington |
| Union Arts Center | Washington |
| ACT Theater / Seattle Shakes | Washington |
| The Alphabet Cookout | Washington, DC |
| Contemporary American Theater Festival | West Virginia |
| Forward Theater Company | Wisconsin |
| Speck of Dust Theatre Company | Wisconsin |
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