WOMEN+ ON THE EDGE OF DEMOCRACY to Open at Salt Lake Acting Company

Salt Lake Acting Company will present a reading of seven plays from the Women+ on the Edge of Democracy anthology, initiated and created by the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts and presented in partnership with The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize.

SLAC's free, one-night-only reading will take place on Monday, November 2, at 7 PM, in the Chapel Theatre. While the reading is free, tickets are required to reserve your spot and will be available to the public on Monday, October 26. Tickets may be reserved online or by calling the Box Office at (801) 363-7522.

SLAC's reading will consist of seven short plays from the series, including work by Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage; Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize nominee Sarah Ruhl; Pulitzer Prize finalist and Tony Award nominee Heidi Schreck; and more. The event will be led by Cynthia Fleming and Adriana Lemke, and will feature an ensemble of local actors.

Women+ on the Edge of Democracy creates 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. 34 playwrights were invited to write a 10-minute play or monologue in response to two questions: What is the current state of democracy in America from a national and international perspective? What can history, global context, or futurism offer us in this pivotal moment? Works from the anthology will also be presented internationally at a multitude of venues October 23 through November 2, 2026.

The 34 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.