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The Woman Question

People’s Light
Dissection, from the Drexel Archives, Women's Medical College of PA. Source material for The Woman Question at People's Light.
Dissection, from the Drexel Archives, Women's Medical College of PA. Source material for The Woman Question at People's Light.
The primary artistic team for The Women Question at People’s Light view source materials for the show at Drexel Archives.
The primary artistic team for The Women Question at People’s Light view source materials for the show at Drexel Archives. Pictured left to right: director Melissa Kievman, performer/creator Melanye Finster, creative producer, dramaturg, and project manager Molly Rosa Houlahan, writer/creator/performer Suli Holum, and a Drexel archivist.
A shot of the People's Light campus on a beautiful day.
People’s Light, Malvern, PA. Photo by Bryan Sheffield.

A new play examines gendered healthcare disparities and bodily autonomy through both historical and contemporary lenses. The creative team, which includes playwright Suli Holum and director Melissa Kievman, sources historical records from the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania, held in the Drexel University Legacy Archive. The stories of women who led the charge for women’s health and reproductive freedom 150 years ago are interwoven with the experiences of 21st-century women who are medical students, doctors, nurses, and patients.

The total grant amount represents project funding plus an additional 20% in unrestricted general operating support.

Recipient
People’s Light

People’s Light

Founded in 1974, People's Light is one of Pennsylvania's largest professional nonprofit theaters and is known for its resident company of artists, eclectic mix of productions, and innovative work with young people. The company produces a mix of world premieres, contemporary plays, and fresh approaches to classic texts. Its initiatives include the New Play Frontiers Residency and Commission program to support the development of new work.

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News

$9 Million From The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage Supports 28 Philadelphia Organizations and 12 Artist Fellowships

Sep 12, 2023
Explore Connections
Eva Wu, 2021 Pew Fellow. Photo by Ryan Collerd.
Four Pew Fellows to Experiment and Expand Practices in Artist Residencies
Barbara Earl Thomas, A Joyful Noise, 2022, paper cut with hand-printed color. Photo by Spike Mafford / Zocalo Studios, courtesy of Claire Oliver Gallery, New York, and the artist. 
Spring Culture Fix: 11 Events to See and Hear in Philadelphia This Season
Dr. Bruce D. Thibodeau, Colleen Jennings-Roggensack, and Elizabeth Merritt
What We’re Learning: Three Cultural Leaders on Thriving Through Uncertainty
James Sprang, 2022 Pew Fellow. Photo by Neal Santos.

Pew Fellow James Allister Sprang on Creating Installations with “Spatial Sound” 
Interview Practice & Process
Ahn Sekwon, Lights of Wolgok-dong, 2005, digital C-print, 70.8" x 94.5". Photo courtesy of the artist.
On Tour: Where to Find Center-Supported Projects Around the World
Terence Nance, film still from Swimming in Your Skin Again, 2014. Courtesy of Terence Nance.
Artist Terence Nance on Presenting Film in a Gallery Space
Video Cross-Disciplinary Practices
Adebunmi Gbadebo and Odili Donald Odita, 2022 Pew Fellows.

Fellow to Fellow: Adebunmi Gbadebo and Odili Donald Odita on Meaning in Materiality 
Interview Practice & Process
The Barnes Foundation, Returning to Before, performed as part of William Edmondson: A Monumental Vision exhibition, choreographed by Brendan Fernandes. Photo by Daniel Jackson for Embassy: Interactive.
How Dance Converges with Sculpture in Barnes Foundation Exhibition
Video Site-Specific Performance