Bechdel Project Names Broadway Playwright Sandy Rustin As 2026 ROO Resident

Bechdel Project has announced that acclaimed Broadway playwright Sandy Rustin has been selected as the 2026 ROO Resident.

The announcement coincides with Women's History Month and the anniversary of a watershed moment in feminist history: the 1970 Ladies' Home Journal Sit-In. During her two-year residency, Rustin will develop a new farce centered on this radical act of defiance, bringing the high-stakes, 11-hour takeover of the magazine's editorial offices to life for modern audiences.

In March of 1970, a coalition of nearly 200 women from Media Women, New York Radical Feminists, the National Organization of Women (NOW), the Redstockings, and Barnard College Students staged a tactical occupation of the Ladies' Home Journal offices. Protesters targeted the magazine because, though it was the most widely read publication for women, with a readership of over 14 million diverse women, it was owned, run, and written almost entirely by white men.

Armed with insider information from a former employee, the leaders entered the building at 9:00 AM and marched directly to the office of Editor-in-Chief John Mack Carter.

The group's 'radical' demands included:

• Hiring a female Editor-in-Chief and an all-female editorial staff.

• Hiring non-white staff in proportion to the U.S. population.

• Raising women's salaries to a minimum of $125 per week.

• Providing free, on-site childcare.

• Opening editorial meetings to all staff to dismantle traditional power hierarchies.

• Ending the "Can This Marriage Be Saved?" column and all ads that degraded women.

The tension of the standoff peaked when one of the protestors, a feminist experienced in jiu jitsu, physically attacked Carter, leading finally to the negotiation they'd been demanding.

"Sandy Rustin has a rare gift for capturing the wit and tension of high-stakes environments," said Maria Aparo, Co-Creative Director of Bechdel Project. "The 1970 sit-in wasn't just a protest; it was a theatrical, bold reclamation of narrative. As we mark 56 years since these women smoked the editor's cigars and demanded a voice, Sandy's work will be an inspiration to a new generation."

While many organizations focus on the final production, Bechdel Project provides support at the incubation stage. By providing early-stage resources, the Project is systematically building a pipeline of "Bechdel-ready" scripts that offer new and exciting perspectives from voices that have been minimized in the past.

The organization believes that for the industry to change, the environment in which writers work must change. By removing the financial and spatial burdens that disproportionately affect women and marginalized creators, Bechdel Project ensures that stories centered on complex, liberated women move from the periphery to the spotlight.

The ROO Residency, inspired by Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own, is designed to remove the systemic and financial barriers that often sideline feminist writers.

"Because so many new play development opportunities have shuttered, Bechdel Project is more essential than ever," said Jens Rasmussen, Co-Creative Director. "We don't just provide time and space, we encourage artists to bring their whole selves to their process, to unapologetically take up space, and to cultivate community for the future. These pillars are already transforming our artists, and we believe they will do the same for the industry and the world."

As the 2026 Resident, Rustin will receive:

• $5,000 to support her creative process.

• Invitation to Bechdel Project's annual 3rd Bohemia Artist Retreat.

• Dedicated studio space in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

• Opportunities for writing retreats in both Brooklyn and Germany.

• Curated dramaturgical mentorship and developmental workshops.

• An opportunity to present a public reading of the work at the conclusion of the residency.

"The Ladies Home Journal protest - powerful and theatrical and underrepresented in cultural memory - catalyzed change in American media," said Sandy Rustin. "The ROO Residency offers not only resources but alignment with a mission that mirrors my own: to use theatre to expand what it means for women to be seen, heard, and celebrated."

About Sandy Rustin

Sandy Rustin is an actress and award-winning playwright. She made her Broadway playwriting debut with the hit farce The Cottage and is the author of the sensationally popular stage adaptation of Clue. Her work, including the award-winning The Suffragette's Murder, blends sharp comedy with urgent historical themes.

About Bechdel Project and the ROO

Bechdel Project is a feminist arts incubator based in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Through residencies, education, and advocacy, they develop women-centered new works for the stage and screen. Past ROO Residents have been Nikki Brake-Sillá and Jeanne Dorsey.

For more information, visit www.bechdelproject.org.