Celebrating Aphra Behn - theatre script launch

Celebrating Aphra Behn – theatre script launch
Thursday 7th July, 6pm to 7.30pm
Nancy Jo Cullen, Alexandria Patience and Rose Scollard wrote Aphra, the playscript, to honour Aphra Behn, this pioneer of women’s writing. The launch of this script by Frontenac House, Alberta will simultaneously take place in Calgary, Canada. Don’t miss this chance to take part in a transatlantic discussion on Equity in Theatre live-streamed between Glasgow and Calgary. Playwright, feminist & artist Alexandria Patience will be present at the launch. www.alexpatience.com

Equality for women in theatre and the arts is currently a hot topic. Aphra Behn, was the first British woman to make her living from her pen. She wrote the first ‘novel’ – Orinooko; which had an anti-slavery theme. When she died, society conspired to bury more than her body.

In Glasgow the panel will showcase the thoughts of Alison Peebles - much loved actor and director and cultural and creative industries researcher, Christine Hamilton along with playwright Alexandria Patience and Donna Moore of the Glasgow Women's Library. From Canada, April Viczko, the new head of Drama at the University of Calgary Fine Arts will open the event with a welcoming speech to both sides.

Aphra Behn (1640-1689) was a playwright, poet and the very first novelist. Her ‘private’ life was considered scandalous – she was the first British woman to earn her living by her pen, was a spy in Antwerp for Charles II, believed in freelove and as a staunch supporter of the Stuart line, she refused to write a welcoming poem for William III, although shortly afterwards she died in penury. When Aphra died, society conspired to bury more than her body. Although a prolific writer few of her works remain within the canon of Restoration writers.

Nancy Jo Cullen, Rose Scollard and Alexandria Patience, who had fought to make their own theatrical visions through building the women centred, Maenad Theatre, learnt of Aphra Behn and understood it was time to re-claim her from the past. The script APHRA was written through this collaboration.

More information is available at these links.
www.frontenachouse.com
http://www.wakingthefeminists.org
http://timescolumns.typepad.com/stothard/2015/11/waking-the-feminists.html

Booking
This event is free to attend. Please book on our website:
http://womenslibrary.org.uk/event/celebrating-aphra-behn-theatre-script-launch/
or you can call us on 0141 550 2267. If you have booked a place and are no longer able to attend please let us know so that we can make your place available to someone else.