Culture
Women Take Center Stage In “Anton In Show Business”
< < Back to women-take-center-stage-anton-show-businessThe Ohio University Division of Theater will present Jane Martin’s Anton in Show Business from Nov. 11-15 in the Forum Theater, located on the ground floor of the Radio-Television Building.
While backstage comedies always run the risk of being a little too “self referential,” Anton in Show Business perfectly illuminates the highs and lows of being a woman in the entertainment industry.
“This…” as she states so aptly, “is a career in the arts in America.”
It is rumored that Jane Martin herself is actually a product of Jon Jory, the renowned producer/director for The Actor’s Theatre of Louisville. Regardless of validity, Martin’s work begs the question: What does it mean to be a woman in show business?
The stage is bare and the plot is simple: Three women are cast in a production Anton Chekov’s The Three Sisters in a regional theater in San Antionio.
Throughout their journey they each experience pain, love and a major, major loss in a way only Chekov himself could have written.
Despite the five male roles written in the script, the all-female cast of eight will portray every role. This, Martin suggests, is to highlight the lack of opportunities for females in the industry overall.
While it would be easy to quote one of Martin’s many witty retorts, the statistics are worth a thousand words. According to The Guardian, a 2013 analysis suggested that 68% of theatregoers are women, while only 33% of women held executive positions in the theatre industry.
Behind every piece of Martin’s witty banter remains a grain of truth. Throughout their journey, Martin’s words suggest that this is a man’s world.
Anton in Show Business will be presented in the Forum Theater in the RTV building from Nov. 11-14 at 8 p.m., and Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. Admission is free to students with a vaild OU ID. To reserve tickets, email free@ohio.edu.
Photos courtesy of the Ohio University Division of Theater