Parity Productions is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit theatre company founded in 2016 by international award-winning director Ludovica Villar-Hauser.

We promote parity by empowering women, trans, and gender-expansive artists in NYC theatre.


In fulfilling our mission, we:

  • Develop original plays

  • Produce and promote the work of playwrights, directors, and designers

  • Provide opportunities for underrepresented voices to work in theatre

Parity Productions is the only New York theatre company that ensures we fill at least 80% of the creative roles on our own productions—playwrights, directors, and designers—with women, trans, and gender-expansive artists and offers free tools to encourage the rest of the theatre industry to do the same.

Each year Parity presents two Development Awards, one to a woman (cis or trans) and one to a trans or gender-expansive playwright who have both demonstrated a dedication to the craft of playwriting and a singular talent for storytelling. The selected playwrights receive $2,500 each and extensive developmental support for their play, with an option for Parity to produce their work.

Parity rewards theatrical productions that meet our 50% gender parity hiring standard for creative teams through The Qualifying Productions program. With extensive social media, email newsletter, and other promotional support, as well as placement in our online directory of Qualifying Productions, Parity Productions promotes other theatre companies embracing the change we want to see in the industry. For free. Our Qualifying Productions program is currently on pause, but we hope to bring it back in 2025.

The Parity Database is a free, centralized, and easily searchable online database of women, trans, and gender-expansive playwrights, directors, and designers of all ages, professional levels, races, and socioeconomic statuses who work in the industry in the New York City area. The Parity Database provides much-needed visibility for women, trans, and gender-expansive theatre artists and provides producers and other artistic leaders with a key resource they need to implement equitable hiring practices.

 

Parity Productions is a proud member of the following organizations:

 
 

Parity Productions has its roots in two other previous not-for-profits: VH Theatrical Development Foundation and Works by Women.

In accordance with New York State Law, the New York State Office of the Attorney General requires that the website and telephone number for the Attorney General’s Charities Bureau be included on all solicitations. They are as follows: https://www.charitiesnys.com/ Phone: (212) 416-8401. A copy of Parity Productions' (EIN 13-4043424) latest annual report may be obtained, upon request, from the organization or from the New York State Attorney General’s Charities Bureau, 28 Liberty Street, 15th Floor, New York, New York 10005.