RISE Series E12: Susan Danish (National Women’s History Museum)
The Women & Theatre RISE Series presents mini-interviews conducted at the Inaugural RISE Summit with network partners of RISE Theatre, all of which are organizations working to increase equity in the theatre industry. In this episode, Hayley and Amy talk with Susan Danish from the National Women’s History Museum. Scroll down for episode notes and transcript!
Episode Notes
Hosts: Hayley Goldenberg and Amy Andrews
Guest: Susan Danish, National Women’s History Museum
Music: Chloe Geller
Listen to all published episodes of the Women & Theatre RISE Series here.
Many thanks to RISE Theatre, Maestra Music, Playbill, and all the amazing organizations working to increase equity in theatre!
Episode Resources:
National Women’s History Museum
Resource: For Educators, By Educators
About National Women’s History Museum:
Founded in 1996, the National Women’s History Museum (NWHM) is an innovative virtual-first museum dedicated to uncovering, interpreting, and celebrating women’s diverse contributions to society. A renowned leader in women’s history education, the Museum brings to life the countless untold stories of women throughout history, and serves as a space for all to inspire, experience, collaborate, and amplify women’s impact—past, present, and future. They strive to fundamentally change the way women and girls see their potential and power.
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Episode Transcript
(Music)
Hayley: Hello, beautiful people, and welcome to the Women & Theatre RISE Series! We’re your hosts, Hayley Goldenberg…
Amy: …and Amy Andrews! On this series, we share mini-interviews conducted at the Inaugural RISE Summit with network partner organizations of RISE Theatre.
Hayley: We’re thrilled to uplift these amazing organizations that are working to make the theatre industry a more equitable space.
Amy: Today, we’re excited to share our interview with Susan Danish from the National Women’s History Museum.
(Music)
Hayley: Hello, beautiful people! We are here at the RISE Summit with Susan Danish from the National Women’s History Museum. Susan, welcome to Women & Theatre!
Susan: Thank you so much! I’m so honored to be here with you, Hayley, and you, Amy. I’m just so impressed by everything you’ve done in your careers and what you’re doing with your organization.
Hayley: Thank you so much, Susan.
Amy: Thank you!
Hayley: Could you please share your pronouns and tell us a little bit about the National Women’s History Museum?
Susan: Sure. I’m a she/her. And I am always happy to talk about the National Women’s History Museum. We’re driven by a really simple but powerful mission, and that is to uncover, celebrate, and elevate the contributions of women throughout history. For nearly 30 years, we’ve been working to right the inequity in the history of our country. Because you go, “Where are the women?” And so that’s what we’ve been focused on. And we want to ensure that stories are in our history and our records that include women so that future generations can learn and take advantage of what we’ve done today to impact tomorrow.
Several years ago, we actually issued a report, and it was called “Where are the Women?” Where are they? And it was a study of state social studies standards in each of the states in the United States. School districts have standards for the basic curriculum in schools, and social studies standards have certain things that go by grade level in what students are supposed to learn, and that’s how schools get evaluated and their funding and things like that as well. And so we did this study, and we found out that overall, about 25% of people mentioned in social studies standards in all of these grade levels are women - only 25%! And most often, they were in - certainly subservient roles, and often for their domestic accomplishments. So clearly there was a problem, because we know that women have done a lot more than that. And we also know that every time a girl reads a womanless history, she begins to believe that she’s worth less. So representation really matters.
So we’ve been doing a lot of things to really right that. And our mission is really implemented with two key things in mind. And it’s all about access and representation. One is our educational programming, and the second is the way we deliver that, through this really state-of-the-art digital means. Because we want to reach people where they are and in methods that they learn best by. So those are our mantras, and so everything we do is kind of tied around those things. So in terms of education, we offer lesson plans and materials free of charge to teachers and parents, to anyone really. Anyone can access our teaching materials online. And so that’s a really core piece of our curriculum. And faculty members in schools across the country rely on them heavily. Women’s history - because it’s not really part of the state standards - doesn’t have a lot of materials. And teachers who want to do something extra have to go and spend their own money to do that. So we provide the lesson plans and posters and all kinds of things that bring women’s history into those social studies lessons. Very wonderful thing to do.
And we also provide virtual training opportunities for the educators. In fact, we have a program called For Educators, By Educators, where we convene, virtually, groups of educators from around the country and they help us co-create some of our curriculum going forward. So they’re very involved in it. Our website contains more than 250 biographies of women.
Hayley: Wow!
Susan: And in terms of women in the arts, I can say that one of them is Rita Moreno, who is the first Latina to be an EGOT winner - Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony. And also women like Suzan Lori Parks, who was the first African-American playwright to win a Pulitzer Prize. You’re nodding like you know those people, and I know you do.
Amy: Yeah!
Hayley: We definitely do!
Susan: But I bet you’ve never heard of Mercy Otis Warren. She was a political playwright during the age of the American Revolution.
Amy: Wow!
Susan: I mean, go figure!
Hayley: Yeah!
Susan: So they’re very exciting. And we have lots and lots of them. But we have room for a lot more. We were really a pioneer in terms of digital learning, and we have been in the digital space for 26 years.
Hayley: Wow.
Susan: So we’re really experts at what we do.
Hayley: Fabulous.
Amy: That’s fantastic! Thank you so much, Susan. Can you tell us a bit about something you’re working on right now that’s lighting you up?
Susan: Well, the thing that’s really lighting me up is really the future. And I am so excited about Gen Z and Gen A. Because I see, from the demographics and all of the things that we talk about, what changemakers these people can be. And so, I am all in on making sure that we really reach those younger people now, I think the oldest in Gen Z are 27. And really making sure that from the very beginning, people understand that women had significant roles.
Hayley: Yes!
Susan: And digitally, we can reach people everywhere.
Amy: Love that!
Hayley: Thank you, Susan. Could you talk a bit about what’s one of the biggest challenges that’s facing the industry right now?
Susan: Sure. And of course, Hayley, I have two. (laughter)
Hayley: Of course!
Susan: One certainly is the issue of representation, which is one of the reasons that we’re talking with each other today, and how to increase that representation. And I know it’s true across the board, no matter which area of the performing arts you work in. And so that’s certainly big, and we’re gonna try to solve it, right? Together, we’re all gonna solve it.
But the other thing is really the financial side of the theatre.
Hayley: Yeah, absolutely.
Susan: And really, what it costs to produce a play. And the impact that that has on, frankly, ticket prices. Now maybe I just feel it because I live in New York…
Hayley: No, I think that that’s definitely a problem.
Amy: Nationwide, worldwide problem you just named there, yeah.
Susan: And it’s just huge. Because high ticket prices mean - you know, obviously that we’re not bringing in a younger audience and a more diverse audience, which is really important in the theatre industry.
Hayley: Absolutely.
Susan: And that will also affect the pipeline for people who want to go into theatre-related professions. So I think those are both big issues. I’m not an expert in either of those topics, so I can identify them, but I can’t solve them. (laughter)
Hayley: Well, together we’ll figure it out.
Amy: Together, we can solve anything. Absolutely. And speaking of, Susan, what do you think is one step listeners can take to make our industry - and the world - a more equitable place?
Susan: Okay, I have a great step.
Amy: Okay, tell us!
Hayley: Yay, love it!
Susan: The National Women’s History Museum just became a national partner of a big initiative called America 250 - which is a Congressionally-approved organization, it’s a nonprofit, that is designed to really highlight the 250th anniversary of our country, which is in 2026. And we’re their national women’s history partner. And so one of the many things that is going to happen, and is starting to happen right now, is that anyone, all of you listeners out there, can go onto the America 250 website - america250.org - and nominate someone to be an unsung champion. Someone living today who’s doing something worthwhile that isn’t getting enough credit for what they’re doing.
Hayley: That’s beautiful, I love that.
Susan: And since we’re talking about the performing arts, think about all of the people doing artistic things out there that nobody knows.
Amy: Yeah!
Susan: It’s the “them nobody knows.”
Hayley: Exactly.
Susan: And so that’s what I think would be great for everyone to do. And the museum itself is also going to be mounting a campaign that’s specifically women-oriented, for women’s stories. And so you can check out our website, womenshistory.org, to find out what we’re doing.
Hayley: Thank you so much for sharing that, Susan. You go, listeners. You go nominate someone today. Susan, before we run, can you tell us where our listeners can find out more information about you and the National Women’s History Museum?
Susan: Womenshistory.org. I’m a board member, and I’ve been a board member there at the museum for 12 years.
Hayley: Wow.
Susan: And so I’m very passionate about the mission, and I’ve been very involved in things.
Hayley: Great! Thank you so much, Susan, for being with us today.
Amy: Yes, thank you! And thank you all, listeners, for tuning in to our conversation with Susan Danish from the National Women’s History Museum.
(Music)
Amy: Women & Theatre is a proud network partner of RISE Theatre.
Hayley: Thank you so much to RISE, Maestra, Playbill, and RISE Program Manager Victoria Detres for collaborating with us on this series. Thank you for listening to the Women & Theatre Podcast. We’re your hosts, Hayley Goldenberg…
Amy: …and Amy Andrews! If you like what you heard, subscribe and give us a 5-star review wherever you listen.
Hayley: You can also follow us on social @womenandtheatreproject to make sure you never miss an episode.
Amy: The music for this show was written by talented Women & Theatre community member Chloe Geller.
Hayley: Thanks again for listening, everyone. See you next time!
Amy: Bye!
