GO Proudly Presents: 100 Women We Love, Class Of 2020

Claire Avitabile

Photo by Rebecca Jean Lawrence Photography.

When Claire Avitabile first arrived in Minneapolis, she was invigorated by its prominent theatre community, but disappointed when she learned of the realities. “For one, it was really difficult for any emerging or early-career artist to get work, even though there are so many companies here,” she tells GO. “Also — though less surprising at the time — there was a complete lack of queer theater and very few opportunities for women. And finally, unless you were working for one of the huge theaters, it was nearly impossible to get paid for any theater job.” To change that, Avitabile founded the 20% Theatre Company, which employs women and transgender/non-binary people, in 2006. The company works to exclusively promote the work of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ artists by producing high quality, professional theater that inspires social change. They employ and mentor queer and allied artists and always compensate artists for their work. “I specifically wanted to center 20% Theatre’s work on the voices and stories of women, queer, and trans artists, because they weren’t being seen or heard otherwise — and that was appalling,” says Avitabile. “When we really started producing plays by and about trans folks, we had audience members drive in from other states just to see the shows, just to see thoughtful and respectful representations of themselves on stage. … Seeing yourself represented, hearing a version of your own story being told — a story that you never thought could be shared, or that you thought no one would ever want to hear — there is nothing like it.” —GP


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