We were lucky to catch up with Virginia Wall Gruenert recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Virginia, thanks for joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

I wrote my first play in 2007 about four women and the effect alcoholism (theirs or a loved one’s) has on their lives. I was inspired by my husband, who at the time was four years sober. He was so impressed by the play that he hunted down an empty building to rent in Washington, PA, and we built a theater from the ground up. We were still relatively new to the Pittsburgh area and didn’t know many local theater artists yet, so I played all four parts. The play, “Shaken & Stirred,” ended up being named “Best Play of 2007” by the local paper. Thus off the WALL Productions was born, and my husband is now twenty years sober.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’ve been acting and writing since I was a teen (BA in Theater from Syracuse University), and my husband, Hans, has run his own business (logistics) for many years as well. We are the perfect combination to oversee both the artistic and business sides of a 501C3, which we do with a fabulous support staff. off the WALL’s focus has always been on consistently excellent art, paying a living wage to staff & artists, uplifting under-represented female artists, diversity and gender equality, and producing socially relevant plays.

We are most proud of our choice of material. I want to see a play that has a powerful message, that doesn’t pull any punches, and that speaks the truth. A few of our bold choices did not go over well in conservative Washington, PA, which prompted our move to Carnegie, PA (closer to Pittsburgh) in 2012. After a few years, we decided to take our productions global – we now produce in Carnegie, New York City, and Reykjavik, Iceland annually. Hans and I became residents of Iceland in 2022, and we’re actively planning to introduce some Icelandic/Nordic theater to U.S. audiences, as well as introducing American theater to Iceland and beyond.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

It is no secret that theater, among numerous other industries, is overwhelmingly white cisgender male-dominated. Although an all-encompassing survey has not yet been posted since the Covid lockdown, the most recent reliable statistics show that only 13% of Broadway shows are written by women, with non-binary writers and composers so underrepresented that they are statistically insignificant. In addition, a survey of LORT professional theaters in the U.S. put theater designer statistics (scenic, costume, light, sound, video) at 71% male and 29% female. Statistics worldwide are not much better, if at all.

One of off the WALL’s main missions is to uplift and support female artists. As of 2022, over 75% of our productions are written, directed, designed and staged by women. The International Center for Women Playwrights has honored us for five consecutive years with their 50/50 Applause Award for upholding and encouraging the works of female playwrights. Ironically, the ICWP discontinued the 50/50 program for lack of interest, which speaks volumes, in my opinion.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

off the WALL chose to donate ticket sales proceeds from one of our productions to Planned Parenthood. As a result, our theater was inundated with protesters from the local Catholic churches in Carnegie, PA, carrying the usual gory images and hatred-filled signs.

We responded not only by donating the proceeds to PP, but also organized a “Handmaid’s Walk” around town, led by me. A group of actors and dancers, dressed in Handmaid’s garb, marched right past the Catholic church’s annual outdoor summer picnic, which was quite well attended. Local TV was also on hand to do a story about us, and we were never picketed again.      

Contact Info:

• Website: www.vcwall.me, www.insideoffthewall.com
• Instagram: insideoffthewall
• Facebook: offthewallproductions

Image Credits
Headshot by Tony Moux Handmaid’s photo courtesy of Hans Gruenert All other photos by Heather Mull