Female pirate inspires award-winning screenplay

PULLMAN — The first time Ruth Gregory encountered the famous cross-dressing female pirate Anne Bonny, the 18th-century swashbuckler was about two inches tall and made of plastic. That’s because Gregory, an associate professor in Washington State University’s Digital Technologies and Culture Program, found an action figure of Bonny at a hobby shop. Intrigued by the idea of a female pirate being immortalized in toy form, she immediately bought it. “I was like, wait – what? There was a female pirate, and she’s an action figure?” Gregory said. “So, I bought the action figure, and I still have it. Then I started researching her to see if I could find more information.”