Venus Theatre
Venus Theatre is the longest-running regional theater producing only plays written by women. The theatre was founded as a nonprofit in Laurel by Deborah Randall in 2001.
Deborah Randall is the founding Artistic Director. The musical director is Alan Scott.
Venus Theatre was an outgrowth of Venus Envy, an all-female improv troupe and outreach company. Venus Envy was an outgrowth of the SHE Co in DC. Venus Envy did community outreach with other organizations such as: Code Pink, The House of Ruth, Take Back the Night, and Break the Chain.
Venus Theatre has primarily produced works by and about women.
Awards: Helen Hayes/American Express Award for Artistic directors. Past productions have won the Maryland Theatrical Association's Best Drama Prize in 2002 and 2005.
Venus Theatre moved out of its space of 15 years in Laurel, MD in February of 2022. The Covid epidemic along with a nearly 30% rental increase were the determining factors.
Production history includes:
2019 COLLABORATIVE ITERATIONS- by Deborah Randall, by Renee Calarco, by Doruntina Basha, by Deborah Randall and Alan Scott;
2018 by Jennifer Faletto, by Maureen Chadwick, by Deborah Randall, by Cynthia Cooper;
2017 edited by Naomi Cruz, by Andrea Lepcio, by Claudia Barnett, by Alana Valentine;
2016 by Migdalia Cruz, by Jayme Kilburn, by Kathleen Warnock, by Alana Valentine,
2015 by Doc Andersen-Bloomfield, by Cecelia Raker, by Claudia Barnett, by Amy Bernstein;
2014 by Shannon Murdoch, by Daria Marinelli, by Cecilia Copeland, by Jayme Kilburn;
2013 by Claudia Barnett, by Fengar Gael, by Kathleen Warnock, by Rich Espey;
2012 by Rand Higbee, by Alyson Mead, by Fengar Gael, by Sean O'Leary;
2011
written by Carolyn Gage | directed by Karen Shields, written by Steven Levingston, Lou by John Carter, by Zoe Mavroudi; 2010
written by Andrea Lepcio | directed by Catherine Tripp, written by Robin Rice Lichtig | directed by Lee Mikeska Gardner,
written by Kay Rhodes, written by P.H. Lin | directed by Lynn Sharp Spears;
2009 by Chris Wind, Homokay's Medea by Julianne Homokay, Why'd Ya Make Me Wear This Joe? by Vanda, Helen of Sparta by Jacob M. Appel; 2008 wRighting Women Reading Series: Baby Dykes, Straight Chicks, and Actresses/Ordinary Mourning/Oh...God...Yes! by Linda Suzuki, wRighting Women Reading Series: JUVENILLA by Reina Hardy, wRighting Women Reading Series: Breaking the Bell JaR plays on poems by sylvia plath by Julianne Homokay,
All female Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare, wRighting Women Reading Series: Tophet Point by Chris Shawn Swanson,
wRighiting Women Reading Series: THE AMAZING YAMASHITA AND THE GOLDDIGGERS OF 2009 by Carolyn Gage, THE PARMACHENE BELLE CALAMITY JANE SENDS A MESSAGE TO HER DAUGHTER AND OTHER SOLO SHORTS written by Carolyn Gage | directed by Carolyn Gage. LYSISTRATION: A FEMINIST ROCK OPERA by Deborah Randall, wRighting Women Reading Series: ON THIN ICE by Lisa Bonita Bridgens, wRighting Women Reading Series: Three Sisters From Queens by Claudia Haas, wRighting Women Reading Series: A SLICE OF HER LIFE by Gina Stewart | directed by Carolyn Gage;
2007 Heartfriends Musical for Children: Boogsnot and the Disco Dancing Meltdown of the Snows by Deborah Randall and Alan Scott, Heartfriends Musical for Children: Fiona the Fish and the Magical Carwash,
by Deborah Randall and Alan Scott, Heartfriends Musical for Children: Juanita the Walrus Goes on a Shopping Spree by Deborah Randall and Alan Scott;
2006 Are You A Daughter of Molly Maguire? by Deborah Randall, How She Played the Game by Cynthia Cooper | directed by Benjamin Pohlmeier, Heartfriends Musical for Children; Juanita the Walrus Goes on a Shopping Spree by Deborah Randall and Alan Scott;
2005 by Migdalia Cruz, by Lisa Voss;
2004 by Carolyn Gage, Bad girls III Summer Play Festival: The Redemption written by Dale Spender, Charisse Montgomery, Jeni Bindeman, Jae Kramison, Linda Suzuki, Deborah Randall, Jenny Klion, and J. Montegue; 2003 Bad Girls II Summer Play Festival;
2002 Bad Girls Summer Play Festival, CodePink Outdoor Play Readings: Rules of the Playground by Carolyn Gage, A Chat With Miss Chicky by Dale Spender;
2000 Daughters of Molly Maguire by Deborah Randall; 1999 Til It Hurts Solo Tour by Deborah Randall; 1998 The Voice Inside the Vessel, three woman tour by Deborah Randall
Recent productions include Shakespeare's Measure for Measure and On Thin Ice. The theater's annual "retro-classic" new works series for 2009 featured Chris Wind's Not Such Stuff, Julia Homokay's Homokay's Medea, Vanda's Why'd Ya Make Me Wear This, Joe, and Jacob M. Appel's Helen of Sparta.