SheNYC Arts: Empowering New Voices through Theater
In the crowded world of theater, breaking through as a new voice can feel impossible, especially for women, trans, and nonbinary artists who have historically been underrepresented. But SheNYC Arts has made it their mission to flip that script, championing gender equity and giving a platform to creators who might otherwise be overlooked. Co-founder Danielle DeMatteo is at the helm of this effort, driving change in real time, one festival at a time.
DeMatteo, speaking amidst the whirlwind of festival season, reflects on SheNYC's ever-growing impact. “We’ve just wrapped our festivals in LA, New York, and Atlanta,” she says. “It honestly feels like every single day, we’re having an impact on people’s lives.”
For DeMatteo, the most rewarding part of her work isn’t just the productions, it’s the way SheNYC inspires those involved to see themselves in new ways. She’s watched actors in the festival transform into playwrights, sparked by the confidence SheNYC gives them to take creative risks. “We’ve had actors finish the festival saying, ‘I’m going to try to write a play,’ because they never saw it as an opportunity before,” she explains. This empowerment is at the core of SheNYC’s mission—to create space for new voices in an industry still heavily dominated by established norms.
