VENUS ENVY by Lorraine Treanor, Editor BriansTheatreNews@yahoogroups.com (October, 2005) This month's issue of American Theatre magazine announced that this season, for the first time, the Top Ten most-produced plays in a season are written by women. Of the eight DC theatres whose seasons are listed, we found 18 women authors. With news like that, we wanted to take a moment to mention Venus Theatre, where all of the plays produced are by women who have strong stories to tell. A production by DC's Venus Theatre has meant that works by some women playwrights get seen for the first time, or get taken into new markets and publication.  This past Spring Venus mounted Cigarettes and Moby Dick by Migdalia Cruz at the Attic Space of the Warehouse Theatre in Washington, DC.  The play received critical acclaim and Migdalia came in from Cape Cod to see it herself as well.  This was only its second production, after it was given a Developmental Reading at The Royal Court Theatre, London as part of an exchange with New Dramatists, and was premiered at Latino Chicago and directed by Juan Ramirez. In the Spring of 2004, Venus mounted a previously unproduced play written 13 years earlier by Carolyn Gage called Ugly Ducklings. . According to founder Deb Randall " No other Company would touch a script dealing with young girls, homophobia, and suicide."   In mid-September 2005, it was produced in the playwrights' home state of Maine, where gay rights legislation is in danger of being revoked. A documentary was made on the making of the play which featured children from 9 - 17. When Venus mounted Gage's, The Anastasia Trial in the Court of Women,   the Washington Post press gave the leverage needed to encourage Samuel French to distribute the play throughout Universities. Deb Randall: "Over and over again, Venus is called to speak the stories of  women.  And every time a play is read or toured or mounted, something shifts that is amazing and incredible."VENUS ENVY by Lorraine Treanor, Editor BriansTheatreNews@yahoogroups.com (October, 2005) This month's issue of American Theatre magazine announced that this season, for the first time, the Top Ten most-produced plays in a season are written by women. Of the eight DC theatres whose seasons are listed, we found 18 women authors. With news like that, we wanted to take a moment to mention Venus Theatre, where all of the plays produced are by women who have strong stories to tell. A production by DC's Venus Theatre has meant that works by some women playwrights get seen for the first time, or get taken into new markets and publication.  This past Spring Venus mounted Cigarettes and Moby Dick by Migdalia Cruz at the Attic Space of the Warehouse Theatre in Washington, DC.  The play received critical acclaim and Migdalia came in from Cape Cod to see it herself as well.  This was only its second production, after it was given a Developmental Reading at The Royal Court Theatre, London as part of an exchange with New Dramatists, and was premiered at Latino Chicago and directed by Juan Ramirez. In the Spring of 2004, Venus mounted a previously unproduced play written 13 years earlier by Carolyn Gage called Ugly Ducklings. . According to founder Deb Randall " No other Company would touch a script dealing with young girls, homophobia, and suicide."   In mid-September 2005, it was produced in the playwrights' home state of Maine, where gay rights legislation is in danger of being revoked. A documentary was made on the making of the play which featured children from 9 - 17. When Venus mounted Gage's, The Anastasia Trial in the Court of Women,   the Washington Post press gave the leverage needed to encourage Samuel French to distribute the play throughout Universities. Deb Randall: "Over and over again, Venus is called to speak the stories of  women.  And every time a play is read or toured or mounted, something shifts that is amazing and incredible."