A BRIEF HISTORY

1988

• The First International Women Playwrights Conference was held in Buffalo, NY. The Buffalo conference brought together more than 200 women playwrights from over 30 countries around the world.

REF: Records held by former University Professor at Buffalo, Anna Kay France, as related to her involvement in the 1st International Women Playwrights Conference(IWPC) held at the University at Buffalo, October 14-23, 1988. Includes correspondence with national and international playwrights, session transcripts, and papers from the International Center for Women Playwrights. 

https://findingaids.lib.buffalo.edu/repositories/2/resources/737

https://dspace.flinders.edu.au/xmlui/handle/2328/7978

1989

• International Centre for Women Playwrights (ICWP) established in Buffalo, New York, USA, to continue the work of the conference and serve as a communications center for women playwrights internationally.

1991

• 2nd  International Conference held in Toronto, CANADA.
• International Advisory Committee (IAC) formed as an international committee made up of those who attend the conference, to choose the site of the next conference and to provide advice and assistance to its directors.

1994

• The ICWP-L email discussion List started by Diane Taber-Markiewicz on Tue, 22 Nov 1994
• 3rd International conference held in Adelaide, AUSTRALIA. This was the most successful conference in international attendance.

1997

• 4th International Conference in Galway, Ireland. Role of the International Advisory Committee was extended to bring members into more active roles in planning and supporting the conference. An Organizational Committee with a core committee of 22 women volunteers from 10 countries; AUSTRALIA, Egypt, England, France, Greece, India, New Zealand, the Philippines, Sweden, and the USA was formed to reorganise the organization before the 5th International conference in 2000.

• The International Women Playwrights Centre (ICWP) closed its office in SUNY in Buffalo, USA and became a virtual centre, concentrating its resources on women with Internet access.

• The IAC continued planning for the 2000 conference and became a de facto separate organization, Women Playwrights International, which continues to plan and organize the tri-annual conferences.

• The ICWP and Women Playwrights International exist as complementary and supportive organizations.

• September - ICWP Website designed and launched by Sandra Dempsey.

1998

• ICWP continued to develop its membership base and plans to register as a charitable 501 (c) 3 organization in USA.

1999

• International Play Readings
January – Los Angeles, California, USA – Co-ordinator, Kristen Lazarian
February -- BALTIMORE, Maryland, USA - Co-ordinator Daphne R. Hull

• Regional Conference, Wright State University Campus, Dayton, Ohio, USA, May 21st-22nd

Co-ordinators: Diane Taber-Markiewicz, Sandra Perlman, Linda Eisenstein, Jennifer McClelland, Carla Matteo, Mara Lathrop, Trish Sandberg.

Photo by Elisabeth Arzberger

2000

• Incorporated as a Non-Profit Corporation in the State of Ohio, USA, February 11.
Agent: Nancy Griffith

• International Play Readings – in association with Mae West Fest – Producer, Mara Lathrop
Seattle, WASHINGTON STATE, USA

2001

• Conference - Portland, Oregon, USA September 6-9

• International Play Readings “For A New Millennium”– in association with Mae West Fest - Producer, Mara Lathrop, Seattle, WASHINGTON STATE, USA

2002

• HER-rah! - Rehearsed readings events to celebrate International Women's Day.

Santa Fé – New Mexico        

New York – New York

Grand Forks – North Dakota   

Dallas – Texas

• ICWP becomes a member of the organization Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts (WALA) and receives pro bono legal advice and representation from the firm of Dickstein Shapiro Morin Oshinsky LLP, Washington, DC, USA

2003

• New Website Launched

• 7-9 November - HER-rah! II  - International Play Readings

Boston, USA    

Richmond, Virginia, USA

2004

• 1st  International Playwrights Retreat
Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
Organised by Director, Alan Woods - Facilities provided by the Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee Theatre Research Institute

• Articles of Incorporation Amended, by vote of the Membership.

2005

• 2nd  International Playwrights Retreat
Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
Organised by Director, Alan Woods - Facilities provided by the Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee Theatre Research Institute

2006

• 3rd  International Playwrights Retreat
Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
Organised by Director, Alan Woods - Facilities provided by the Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee Theatre Research Institute

2007

• January -  Achieved Registration as a not-for-profit organization (501-c-3) with the Internal Revenue Service, USA.

• March 3 – 26 - HER-RAH! - International Play Readings series

Celebrating  International Women’s Day

Boston, USA - Co-ordinator - Geralyn Horton - Cambridge Workshops

Bucharest, ROMANIA - Co-ordinator Lucia Verona

Columbus, Ohio, USA - Co-ordinator – Alan Woods

Limbo Plays

Kitchener, Ontario, CANADA Co-ordinators - Paddy Gillard-Bentley, Jenni Munday

Mesa, Arizona, USA: Co-ordinator -  Marie-Jeanne Pense

New York, USA – Co-ordinator – Rachel Rubin Ladutke

2008

• March  - Limbo Play Readings, hosted by Alan Woods
An evening of Limbo plays at Ohio Dominican University in Columbus, Ohio, on March 13, 2008.

Photo - Dr. Ann C. Hall, dean at Ohio Dominican University, member of ICWP, and the teacher of the drama class that chose to do the readings, introduces the evening.

• June 21 – 24 - HER–rah! – International Rehearsed Play Readings
Venue: Around the Coyote, Chicago, USA
Co-ordinator – Jill Elaine Hughes.

She Speaks - Co-ordinator Paddy Gillard-Bentley
Kitchener Waterloo, Toronto, Canada

2009

• 4th  International Playwrights Retreat
Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
Organised by Director, Alan Woods - Facilities provided by the Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee Theatre Research Institute

Boston - HER-Rah!

2010

Rehearsed Readings 
Here, There, and Everywhere - Delights Audiences and Raises Money
Final Report by Mara Lathrop, Co-Producer
Photos © by Mark Saran.

2011 - onwards - we are still updating this page 

2012-2018

ICWP 50/50 Applause Awards 
given by ICWP to theatres across the world which produced plays by women playwrights at least 50% of their entire season.