Feminist theater collective The Kilroys has unveiled The List 2019, a collection of 33 un-produced or underproduced plays written by women and trans and non-binary playwrights. The Kilroys describes The List, now in its fifth year, as “a tool for producers committed to ending the systemic underrepresentation of woman, trans, and non-binary playwrights in the American theater.”
In order to make The List, The Kilroys asked 315 influential new play leaders and industry professionals from all 50 states for three to five recommendations. The nominees could not have been staged more than once in a professional production. Over 800 plays were nominated and The List 2019 is comprised of the top four percent, the 33 plays that received between five and 19 recommendations.
Among the 2019 selectees are Stacey Rose’s “America v. 2.1: The Sad Demise & Eventual Extinction of the American Negro” and “As Is: Conversations with Big Black Women in Confined Spaces.” The former follows historical re-enactors in a world where African Americans no longer exist, and the latter centers on four “Big Beautiful Black Women” and how they navigate a world that doesn’t appreciate their bodies. Also on The List 2019 are Ana Nogueira’s “Mask Only,” which sees two friends waiting to meet the star of a Broadway musical, and Sanaz Toossi’s “English,” about a group of Irani students learning a new language.
Established in 2013, The Kilroys uses its platform to support emerging and marginalized voices in theater. Last December, the collective announced that a new class would be taking over leadership duties from its founders. The Kilroys is now run by Jaclyn Backhaus, Hilary Bettis, Jennifer Chambers, Claudia de Vasco, Emma Goidel, Christina Ham, Jessica Hanna, Monet Hurst-Mendoza, Obehi Janice, Hansol Jung, Chelsea Marcantel, Caroline V. McGraw, Bianca Sams, and Gina Young.
Check out the full List 2019, Honorable Mentions, and the nominators over on The Kilroys’ website. Selectees have been encouraged to list their works on the New Play Exchange.
