LEADING LADIES

From Elizabethan constrictions that barred women (most notably Gwyneth Paltrow in Shakespeare in Love) from setting foot on a stage, let alone writing for one, to the sustained existence of Neil LaBute: In theater, as in life, women are too often dealt the shit parts. Step in the EstroGenius Festival, now in its 15th season of showcasing talented females on New York’s downtown performance-art scene. This year’s short plays include encores of G Train Exodus by Jessica Fleitman, Glutton for Punishment by Catherine Noah, and A Place for Owls by festival founder Fiona Jones, as well as six premieres and a selection of one-woman shows and dance pieces. The festival also accepts work from men as long as it includes a strong female voice, such as Brent Lengel’s Snow White Zombie, in which the ladies literally kick ass.

Fri., Oct. 3, 7:30 p.m., 2014