WOMEN+ ON THE EDGE OF DEMOCRACY to Make NYC Debut

Arts at the Edge, in partnership with the Manhattan University Department of Political Science and International Studies, will present select plays from Women+ On The Edge of Democracy, a groundbreaking initiative encouraging conversation about American democracy initiated by the Flynn Center (Jay Wahl, Executive Director) in Vermont and The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize (Leslie Swackhamer, Executive Director).

Arts at the Edge's presentation will take place Wednesday, October 28th at 7:30 PM at Manhattan University's Hayden Hall, Room 100. The event is free to the public and will feature selected works from the anthology's 36 playwrights with time for community discussion. Tickets can be reserved at Eventbrite.

The Flynn, an artistic catalyst in Burlington for nearly 100 years, created this cultural and civic initiative, which commissioned 36 prominent women+ playwrights from around the world to write ten-minute plays or monologues in response to these urgent questions: What is the current state of democracy in America? What can history, global context, or futurism offer us in this pivotal moment?

Women+ on the Edge of Democracy sets out to form a collective portrait of a nation in doubt and transformation – seen through the eyes of women+ playwrights from around the world who have long chronicled America's contradictions and dreams. The commission welcomes work from across the political spectrum. Through comedy and tragedy, rage and tenderness, hope and fear, these writers will map a picture of America today – revealing how democracy feels to those who have spent their lives giving voice to the unseen and unheard.

As the United States marks its semiquincentennial, the Flynn will publish the complete collection of plays as an anthology – free to perform – inviting artists, community groups, and citizens across the country to stage readings and performances between October 23 and November 3, ahead of the U.S. Midterm Elections. The anthology will be available for purchase in September with rights waived for individuals and non-profit organizations who would like to present the plays free of charge to the public. Organizations and individuals wishing to participate can sign up at www.democracy.flynnvt.org.

Approaching fifty years, the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize is the largest and oldest international playwriting prize recognizing and celebrating women+ playwrights writing for the English-speaking theater. The 36 commissioned playwrights include Jane Anderson, Leslie Ayvazian, Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti, Moira Buffini, Lucy Caldwell, Bridget Carpenter, Paula Cizmar, Migdalia Cruz, Erika Dickerson-Despenza, Elizabeth Diggs, Hannah Doran, Stella Feehily, Lauren M. Gunderson, Zinnie Harris, Justice Hehir, Beth Henley, Elizabeth Kuti, Haruna Lee, Kimber Lee, Rebecca Lenkiewicz, Lisa Loomer, Sarah Mantell, Deb Margolin, Ellen McLaughlin, Susan Miller, Rona Munro, Lynn Nottage, Ife Olujobi, Dael Orlandersmith, a.k. payne, Heather Raffo, Sarah Ruhl, Heidi Schreck, Jenny Schwartz, Judith Thompson, and Else Went.

Dramaturgs for the project include Martine Kei Green-Rogers, Sarah Mantell, Amrita Ramanan, Zeina Salame, and Jenny Worton.

This project is accompanied by original artwork created by Paula Scher/Pentagram.

About Arts at the Edge

Arts at the Edge is a performing arts organization based in Riverdale, Bronx. Run by two working artist moms, Arts at the Edge programs and produces transformative, diverse performing arts events and workshops for the Riverdale-Kingsbridge, Bronx community, in partnership with the Kingsbridge Historical Society and local artists. Named for Riverdale's place at the 'edge' of New York City, the organization says it is both rooted in the history of this area and envisioning what its future can be, through innovative artmaking and collaboration.

Arts at the Edge was founded by Esmé Julien Boyce and Katie Zaffrann. This project is co-produced by Wiley Hausam and Shellen Lubin, and directed by Shellen Lubin and Liz Sweeney. Actors include Melanie Holmes, Aixa Kendrick, Shellen Lubin, Buzz Roddy, and Katie Zaffrann, with discussion moderated by Margaret Groarke.

About the Flynn

Located in Burlington, VT, the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts invites everyone to imagine, create, and connect through the power of live performance. An acclaimed theater and performance center since 1930, the Flynn presents a broad array of artistic forms that reach 1 in 4 Vermonters annually. The Flynn's facilities include a 1,439-seat Main Stage theater, Flynn Space (a black-box performance venue), education and dance studios, and a visual art gallery. Throughout its 30+ years as a nonprofit organization, the Flynn has earned a national reputation for presenting theater, jazz, and dance — performances that were previously rare in a small, rural state. Today, the Flynn is also a statewide leader in performing arts education, presenting art in public spaces, and producing innovative works that open new ways of seeing, dreaming, and being.

Through bold, accessible, and expansive programming, the Flynn is continually pushing beyond the bounds of its physical spaces, taking performances into parks, outdoor marketplaces, schools, and farms across Vermont – engaging, challenging, and re-imaging what the performing arts can look like. Guest curators have helped to bring new perspectives to performance series, and partnerships with nonprofits and other arts organizations have further expanded community impact.

In the 2025/26 season, the Flynn hosted 148,000 people at 259 performances and events, including on the mainstage, at the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival, and in education programming, free community events, and Student Matinee shows. The Flynn is a cultural anchor for Vermont, presenting diverse, high-quality artistic experiences that celebrate global perspectives, elevate local voices, and invite the entire community to take part in the transformative power of live performance.

About the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize

The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize is the largest and oldest international award recognizing women+ writers for plays of outstanding quality written for the English-speaking theatre. For nearly fifty years, the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize has recognized the most visionary women writing for the stage—artists whose voices have defined and redefined contemporary theatre. Past winners of the Prize include Annie Baker, Alice Birch, Benedict Lombe, Julia Cho, Caryl Churchill, Jackie Sibblies Drury, Katori Hall, Lucy Kirkwood, Marsha Norman, Lynn Nottage, Dael Orlandersmith, Lucy Prebble, Sarah Ruhl, Paula Vogel, Wendy Wasserstein and Timberlake Wertenbaker.