Women+ on the Edge of Democracy theater initiative launched

The Flynn Center for the Performing Arts in Burlington, Vermont, has partnered with the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize to create ‘Women+ on the Edge of Democracy’. This civic-engagement initiative has commissioned 36 women+ playwrights to compose short plays or monologues addressing the current state of American democracy from national and international perspectives.

The project aims to provide a collective portrait of democracy through various lenses, including history, global context, and futurism. The commissioned writers include notable figures such as Lynn Nottage, Sarah Ruhl, Heidi Schreck, Beth Henley, Dael Orlandersmith, Lauren Gunderson, and Zinnie Harris. The initiative invites communities to read and perform these works in anticipation of the 2026 midterm elections.