{"product_id":"women-on-the-edge-of-democracy-paperback","title":"Women+ on the Edge of Democracy - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eThe Susan Smith Blackburn Prize\u003c\/b\u003e (With)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA body of work that asks us what kind of world we want to live in, and then challenges us to go about the business of creating it.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eWomen+ on the Edge of Democracy\u003c\/i\u003e is a collection of thirty-four new short plays commissioned by the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts in Vermont in partnership with the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. The project brings together past winners of the Blackburn to respond to a shared set of questions about democracy, civic life, and the role of the individual at a moment of profound political uncertainty. The works center women+ as founders and preservers of American democracy. By excavating a variety of topics, the works also position women as necessary leaders for a brighter future. \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn Paula Cizmar's \u003ci\u003eThe Betsy Ross Book of the Dead\u003c\/i\u003e, the flag seamstress returns to sunset democracy with the help of an AI chatbot.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn Dael Orlandersmith's \u003ci\u003eMaya\u003c\/i\u003e, a custodial worker at a New York library fights against book-banning.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eJustice Hehir's \u003ci\u003eChurn\u003c\/i\u003e finds two friends working at a historical reenactment theme park questioning the roles they play in depicting women from the past and what consequences it may have in the future.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Pardon\u003c\/i\u003e by Jane Anderson drops the reader into a winding conversation between an ICE agent and his grandmother who is mourning the loss of her dog.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn Sarah Ruhl's \u003ci\u003eAn Uplifting High School Graduation Speech\u003c\/i\u003e, a woman returns to her Catholic high school with an axe to grind about the ways religion is used to erode women's bodily autonomy.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMigdalia Cruz's \u003ci\u003eThe Collapse of the Hive\u003c\/i\u003e goes inside of an urban apiary in Washington, DC where worker bees are getting ready to revolt.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTogether, these thirty-four monologues and short plays wrestle with a variety of pertinent issues from immigration to gun violence, misogyny to the fragile state of public education. They do not argue for a single point of view or prescribe a single course of action. Instead, they invite reflection, conversation, and community through live performance. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLocated in Burlington, VT, the \u003cb\u003eFlynn Center for the Performing Arts\u003c\/b\u003e 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. \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cb\u003eSusan Smith Blackburn Prize\u003c\/b\u003e is the oldest and largest international playwriting prize honoring women+ writing for the English-speaking theater. Established in 1978, the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize currently awards $70,000 annually to 10 playwrights. Since 1978, over 500 plays have been honored as Finalists of the Prize and many have gone on to receive top honors, including Olivier, Lilly, Evening Standard and Tony Awards for Best Play. Twelve Susan Smith Blackburn Finalist playwrights have subsequently won the Pulitzer Prize in Drama. \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 296\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.67 x 9 x 6 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e November 03, 2026\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67972571496755,"sku":"9781636702858","price":35.03,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0300\/5595\/6612\/files\/T0jfndUmS19781636702858.webp?v=1794430406","url":"https:\/\/www.vysn.com\/en-ca\/products\/women-on-the-edge-of-democracy-paperback","provider":"VYSN","version":"1.0","type":"link"}