Women+ on the Edge of Democracy

Event details Date: Monday, November 2, 2026 Time: 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM Location: Doheny Memorial Library (DML) - Friends of the USC Libraries Lecture Hall, Room 240 - 3550 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90089 Cost: Free Type: Arts, Dance/Theater Campus: University Park Campus Department: Visions and Voices: The Arts and Humanities Initiative Audience: Students, Alumni, Faculty/Staff About this event ADMISSION: Admission is free and open to everyone. Reservations required. RSVP beginning Thursday, October 1, at 10 a.m. RSVP DESCRIPTION: With participants spanning the geographical and political spectrum, Women+ on the Edge of Democracy is a national theatre project that aims to bring people together and spark conversation ahead of the midterm elections on November 3 in a nationwide act of listening. USC Visions and Voices, USC Arts in Action, and USC’s Institute for Theatre and Social Change come together to present a special offering for the USC community as one of the few Southern California participants in this national festival. The day before the midterm elections, they will present a selection of short plays and monologues from the forthcoming anthology and facilitate discussion with audience members about how theatre conveys and addresses the challenges we face in democracy today. What to Expect Four short play readings will be performed by USC students, faculty, and alumni, each followed by a 15-minute facilitated discussion. Audience members are welcome to come and go as they need throughout the program. Pizza and light refreshments will be served. The plays that will be shared during the event: The Betsy Ross Book of the Dead by Paula Cizmar Betsy Ross and her AI assistant prepare democracy for its descent into The Underworld. Last Call by Ife Olujobi Sakina gets a draft notice and decides to reconcile with her ex. Searching for Elsie Parrish by Heidi Schreck It's a story about, to quote Rebecca Solnit, "never f---ing surrendering." Nightlight by Kimber Lee Two teenagers fight to find light in a dark place. ABOUT THE PROJECT: Women+ on the Edge of Democracy is a forthcoming anthology of new plays that build a collective portrait of a nation in transformation and doubt—seen through the eyes of women+ playwrights from around the world who have long chronicled America’s contradictions and dreams. The project features 37 new play commissions from across the political spectrum. Through comedy and tragedy, rage and tenderness, hope and fear, these writers map a picture of America today—revealing how democracy feels to those who have spent their lives giving voice to the unseen and unheard. This work was commissioned and originally produced by: The Flynn Center for the Performing Arts in Burlington, Vermont. Jay Wahl, Executive Director In Partnership with the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. Presented by USC Visions and Voices, USC Arts in Action, and USC’s Institute for Theatre and Social Change. Official event details: htt Official event details: https://calendar.usc.edu/event/women-on-the-edge-of-democracy