Irish women dramatists have long faced an uphill challenge in getting the recognition and audience of their male counterparts. There are more female playwrights now than ever before, but they are often ignored by mainstream theatres. Kearney and Headrick strive to shift the spotlight with Irish Women Dramatists. The plays collected in this volume represent a cross-section of the excellent dramatic output of Irish women writing in the twentieth century. In addition to the scripts and biographical introductions, the anthology includes a detailed, critical, annotated essay addressing the development of the Irish theatre throughout this time period, and the place women have artistically carved out for themselves in a traditionally male-dominated theatre industry and dramatic canon. One of the few collections of plays by Irish women, this volume contextualizes the political and sociological climate in which these playwrights developed. As theatre practitioners-actors and directors-as well as scholars, Kearney and Headrick have devoted years of research to discovering and rediscovering the contributions these women have made-and continue to make-in the Irish and world theatre scenes.
Eileen Kearney is an instructor of theatre at the University of Colorado, Denver. She has directed productions and taught university theatre all across the country, including Pomona College, Santa Clara University, Gonzaga University, and University of Texas in Austin. Charlotte Headrick is professor of theatre at Oregon State University. She has directed numerous Irish plays and has published widely on Irish drama. Headrick has been a guest director at several colleges and universities directing Irish drama; her work has been seen in Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Texas, Oklahoma, Georgia, Kentucky, and Indiana.
