If you turn on the TV or open any streaming app; pick a TV show or movie at random. Chances are, you’ll be watching something directed by a man.

In fact, last year only one in ten of the highest grossing films in theaters had a female director, a statistic that puts the representation of female directors at a seven year low. In a study from the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative entitled Inclusion in the Director’s Chair , found that the gender disparity only grows larger for women of color.

“It is clear that when it comes to directors, hiring decisions are not made solely on the basis of performance,” said Dr. Stacy Smith, one of the authors of the study and the founder of the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative. “If that were the case, then women of color would receive significantly more opportunities to work behind the camera in film. These results demonstrate that the quality of movies by women of color is not only overlooked, it is actively ignored.”

It’s not just the director’s chair; women are underrepresented across so called below the line talent including cinematographers, producers, writers, and editors. That’s why stories like Shana Stein’s are so important. Stein grew up in a small town in Texas; she attended New York University as a theater major where she realized her path was behind the camera. Stein’s most recent work is on two ostensibly opposite projects: the satirical action show The Boys, and the latest Margaret Atwood adaptation, The Testaments. But as Stein tells me, the message behind each show is more similar than you might realize and its one that she, as a female director, is uniquely poised to tell.

Caroline Reilly: I’m fascinated by the juxtaposition of these two projects, The Boys and The Testaments . Can you start by talking a little bit about how you see the through line between the two?

The Testaments shows what happens when a totalitarian regime collapses from within. It asks difficult questions about the moral dilemmas people face within the regime. This being the first season, we see Aunt Lidia’s origin story when faced with the impossible question of shot or be shot. We are beginning to see the seeds of resistance growing among the girls who were raised in Gilead and the journey is just beginning. When Eric Krike pitched The Boys he asked the question if power corrupts then what would a super power do? What happens If someone has ultimate power, ultimate fame and are untouchable by the law? The answer is some will become monsters and the only hope is in the regular folks that make up The Boys who keep fighting the good fight for decency and humanity and for the friendships and loved ones the are trying to protect. Working on the final season of The Boys was so rewarding because after all of the crazy and often horrific things The Boys endured and after some devastating losses - in the end love wins and that is a beautiful thing.

Caroline: I would also imagine that you’re directing for two different audiences–I’m curious what differs in your approach to the two when you consider the different audiences?

My approach to the two shows certainly varies, but not based so much on the audience or my perception of it as I am a fan and an audience member for both of them. But I understand the perception of the differences in the audiences. Some people are shocked when they hear that I direct for The Boys and I get comments like “You don’t look like somebody who would direct The Boys!” I guess it’s because I look like a relatively normal married mother of two but if we have learned nothing else from movies and television hopefully we can learn to never judge a book by its cover! I love everything about the show from its deeply flawed and complex characters brought to life by the brilliant cast to the exploding heads brought to us by the Incredible stunts, VFX and SFX teams. It is at times funny, shocking, scary and sometimes even warm and fuzzy. The Testaments is less gory than the Boys for most of the season and the tension of the repression builds and then you get to the block I directed where things take an explosively violent turn and it is the bloodiest episode of the season by far but it comes from a very different place than the blood and violence of The Boys.

Caroline: I’m a firm believer that there is a very fine line between comedy and horror (or thrillers), how has your background in improv helped you deliver honest dissections of hard issues?

My favorite lesson from improv that I have taken with me into life is Yes And …. When the unexpected happens don’t try to deny it or shut it down. Acknowledge it and expand on it. Explore it. That’s where the good stuff lives. The specific details. And I am someone who has found humor in the darkest of times in my life. My mother actually gave me the best perspective with her expression “it will be one of my stories” whenever something outrageous would happen whether it was a tragedy, some embarrassing public humiliation, or some great adventure she would say “it will be one of my stories “it was a wonderful lesson in being able to reframe anything you went through. Comedy is tragedy plus distance, and it would give you that instant perspective that eventually this is something we may laugh about or it is something we will learn from in the future, giving value to even the moments that seem like all is lost.

Caroline: Directing is predominantly male; what does it mean to you to be a woman in this field, especially working on two projects with such a strong point of view?

I am so very grateful to be working in a job that I love so much on projects that are asking questions pertinent to the times we are living in. As a mother of teenagers who give me hope for the future, I was very excited to work on the Testaments, which showed the power of the rebellion of youth. The Boys is a show that we have enjoyed watching as a family and despite it being named The Boys, I think it’s a very feminist show both on screen and behind the scenes. There is a real palpable balance between the men and women. Eric Kripke has a powerful force behind the scenes in Michaela Starr the incredibly supportive hands on Executive Producer. The wonderful studio exec Lamar Chase and phenomenal network exec Andie Green are so involved and present. The producing director Phil Sgriccia was supportive and created a safe space. I felt fully supported by every department head and never encountered any sexism on that show. It wasn’t about being a male director or a female director it was just a great group of people working at the top of their game and that’s the way it should be and I hope that continues to spread and start to be the norm.