“The Count” for Liberal Arts Colleges Data on Gender and Race in the Production Seasons of Davidson College and Its Peers

The findings, called “The Count,” documented the underrepresentation of women and playwrights of color on professional American stages.

This study revealed that about 21 percent of plays professionally produced were written by women and about 12 percent were by playwrights of color. Reprised in 2019, “The Count 2.0” expanded the scope of the research and also sought to investigate any progress over the preceding four years.

Inspired by this work, Professor of Theatre Sharon Green created an assignment in her spring 2020 class at Davidson College, “Women’s Work: Contemporary Female+ Playwrights,” which asked students to investigate a similar question but shifted the objective of the study to institutions closer to home: Who is being produced by liberal arts colleges—institutions that prioritize undergraduate student learning—around the country?

Read more about the research conducted by Prof. Green and her students.