COLLEGE OF STATEN ISLAND DIARY #1

Audrey Hepburn leading workshop in street theatre in Staten Island

Dearest Diary,

What a great workshop at the College of Staten Island! I was so excited to dust off my mask, get back on the road and teach some theatre.

The ride on the SI ferry was beautiful and as my first time on Staten Island I was amazed at how big it was!

The students were a mix of performers and "non performers," but by the end of the workshop you couldn't tell which was which. You could tell there were students more hesitant about learning improv from Gorillas, but we showed them how to get nice and loose.

We started with some warm ups to get them out of their self consciousness, playing my favorite game, "YES!" In this game, one person does a big physical movement with a sound and then everyone shouts "YES!" and repeats it. The students had great fun pushing their own boundaries. And “YES” is such a great word.

We moved on to creating their own devised pieces made up of a few elements: a choreographed dance, a strong entrance and exit, and a short scene with defined characters. It was incredible to see the once hesitant students suddenly leading their group when it came time to use their creativity.

The pieces were all excellent, bursting with life. Everyone had an amazing time performing and working as a team to create something original. Some pieces had themes of strength (even letting out their own "GRR!" which I can't help but think was inspired by the Guerrilla Girls On Tour) and playfulness. Some even used Michael Jackson for inspiration. But the one thing that defined all of the performances was that you could see the growth and confidence in each of the performers and how well they had used their creativity to have fun as an artist.

Until we meet again on the Staten Island Ferry or elsewhere,

Yours,

Audrey Hepburn

Aphra Behn and the "YES!" exercise

Dear Book,

Just back from The College of Staten Island - the college with the best theater stats we have ever seen in a college! This year the students are putting on two plays, both written by women. They also have a course that focuses on women in theater and an awesome women’s center. Located in the former Willowbrook State School, (a state-supported mental hospital), the College of Staten Island, has a beautiful and expansive campus. The stairway that led from the theater to our dressing room though was outfitted with a hefty barred door - that reminded us of the building’s history.

Our tech crew was stellar - we totally wanted to guerrilla-nap our baboon boy and all-around-tech-rock-star, Dan. And the student volunteer actor, Amy, was quick, witty, and nailed every line. I wish we could have stayed longer and gotten to know more people. Personally I think Staten Island could be a perfect ‘natural habitat’ for a band of Guerrilla Girls [when we’re not] on Tour.

Hope to see you on the road!

Xxxx,

Eva La Gallienne

FEMINIST FRIDAY PORTFOLIO SALE

It’s not Santa Con, it’s not Buy Nothing Day it’s….

FEMINIST FRIDAY and Guerrilla Girls On Tour’s

ONE DAY ONLY PORTFOLIO SALE!

Friday, December 9, 2011 Guerrilla Girls On Tour’s portfolio “MONKEY BUSINESS: The First Ten Years” will be available for $500 plus shipping (reduced from $2000).

Our new limited edition portfolio contains 16 high-quality prints (all 8.5"x17" or 11"x17" depending on the original design). Posters in this collection have been included in exhibits at SOMArts, Rutgers, Exit Art, Museo Castagnino, Palais De Tokyo, and the Busan Biennale.

Please visit the link below to view all of the posters in MONKEY BUSINESS.

http://www.guerrillagirlsontour.com/portfoliosales.htm

If you are interested in purchasing please send an email to posters@ggontour.com

Feel free to share this email with curators, museum directors and other feminists who might be interested in GGOT's Feminist Friday portfolio sale.

Thank you for your support. See you on the road!

Go bananas,

Guerrilla Girls On Tour!

www.guerrillagirlsontour.com

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Guerrilla Girls On Tour! 2012 Spring Internships

Guerrilla Girls On Tour! is the only touring theatre company in the United States that creates performances that take a hilarious look at the current state of women in the arts and beyond. Using skits, sketch and improvisation, Guerrilla Girls On Tour! turns sexism, pay equity, body image, the beauty industry and even the dreaded “F” word (feminism) into theatre that both men and women find fearless and funny. Guerrilla Girls On Tour! advocates on behalf of women and artists of color in the performing arts. We create posters, street theatre actions, speak outs and networking events to create gender parity in the performing art world. Guerrilla Girls On Tour! maintains an annual GirlCott and Good News lists highlighting the current state of women in theatre and beyond. www.ggontour.com

Guerrilla Girls On Tour! is seeking interns for 8 to 12 weeks in the following two areas:

1) General assistance with our rally and speak out tentatively called “Occupy Broadway” scheduled for June of 2012. Duties will include attending all planning meetings and keeping notes, contacting theatre companies for sponsorships, assistance organizing schedule, general correspondence, contacting press and help writing press releases. DATES: March 15 to June 15

2) General office assistance specifically with our mailing list, press kit materials and book proposals. DATES: Feb 15 to April 15

As an anonymous group of activists, Guerrilla Girls On Tour! are all self-starters and volunteers and Internships with GGOT are not paid. However, interns will have access to GGOT and can expect to attend GGOT meetings, actions and participate in our how our organization functions, addresses sexism and creates art. We will work with interns to help them specifically achieve their goals within the scope of their GGOT work.

Interns should be willing to work a flexible schedule of 10 to 15 hours per week. Internship #1 must reside in the New York City area for the duration of the internship and must have access to a computer and Internet. Internship #2 can reside anywhere but must have access to a computer and Internet.

NOTE: Guerrilla Girls On Tour! does not maintain a NYC office. Interns will meet with members of Guerrilla Girls On Tour! on a weekly or bi-weekly basis at various locations in Manhattan. We are looking for candidates who are self-starters and are comfortable working on their own for part of the internship.

College level students who have completed their freshman year who have an interest in activism, art, theatre, marketing, public relations or social media should send a resume and cover letter of interest to

Aphra Behn at interns@guerrillagirlsontour.com

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More Rollins College Diaries

It’s been nearly 2 weeks since I returned to the Guerrilla Girls on Tour headquarters from Rollins College… and I have finally recovered from the high of feminism-gone-wild, otherwise known as the Veteran Feminists of America celebration. I’ll spoil the ending by saying that our last night there, the night of our performance, we opened our dressing room door and there stood Gloria Steinem – larger than life and by that time a familiar presence to us, Ms. Steinem floated into the room and apologized for interrupting our warm-up – she needed as place to wait for her ride to the airport. At every meeting Gloria – as she insisted everyone call her - was incredibly gracious, engaged, and well, down right awesome. We all flew high during the show - truly a performance of a life-time, blessed by the goddess herself.

Now back to the beginning. We left New York on a warm late-October morning and landed in Orlando FL amongst a sea of families headed to Disney World. After a short drive to Winter Park, we met up with Gail, of the Winter Park Institute, and settled into our home-away-from-home, a condo tucked away on a ‘quiet’ street, right next to the train tracks - more on that in a bit.

It had been a while since I was in the south and the Spanish moss and technicolor palms calmed my senses immediately. We had a fun and energetic theater workshop with the students our third day there. They were open and ready to try anything - movement, vocalizing, games, and tons of improvisation followed. Then, on to a poster-making workshop the following day - talk about a group that needed nearly no guidance. They gathered, shared ideas, broke into groups, and collaborated through 3, sometimes 4, drafts of their ideas, refining their message into ready-to-go campaigns.

We participated in a panel discussion on sexual violence and gender equality the next evening of our residency. This was interesting and highlighted several things. First, the need to have a more clearly defined topic - sexual violence and equity were perhaps too broad. Second, know your audience. I have seen this a lot - a women’s center brings in speakers who are prepared to talk to students but the audience is full of advocates looking for more information. And so the group feels talked down to but people don’t really know how to say ‘OK - let’s get to the level 2 or 3 version of this talk.’ Third, a major sticking point in ‘rape education’ still seemed to be the presumed ‘yes’ and so girls need (apparently) to learn to use the ‘hard no’. Which, while frustrating is also a policy issue, as some campuses have rules that promote consensual - must hear a ‘yes’ - sex and this campus has no such policy.

Finally we are back to the show - and what a show it was! Nearly 30 minutes longer than usual because so many people were happily sharing, participating, chanting with us, hugging us, and willing to share their own stories, up-coming events, experiences, hot flashes :), and voices. Whew! Thanks Rollins for a memorable trip...I'm signing off for now...

xxx,

Eva Le Gallienne

Aphra's Rollins College Diary Part I

The past week we have been in residence at Rollins College, Winter Park, Florida as part of their fabulous Winter Park Institute which brings together “leading scholars and artists not simply to give a lecture or performance, but to engage and share time and ideas with our students…” http://www.rollins.edu/wpi/

Gloria Steinem asks the Veteran Feminists of America in the audience to stand up and take a bow!

During the week we led workshops in combining activism and art and ended it all with a performance of “Feminists Are Funny” in Tiedtke Hall on October 29th. All of our activities coincide with the celebration of the 45^th anniversary of the modern feminist movement and there are many important feminists here including Gloria Steinem, NOW President Terry O’Neill, Eleanor Pam and congresswoman Patricia Schroeder.

It was wonderful to feel like you were in the thick of feminism, going from feminist workshop to feminist group dinners to speeches, panels and informal chats. There are old and young feminists here, new and seasoned feminists; angry and happy feminists all sharing, questioning and hugging each other.

Poster Workshop

Some of my memories of the week include a young theatre student asking us: “You are an activist theatre company? Isn’t that, like, old?”

Poster workshop themes

During the panel discussion we found that some professors do not want to identify as feminists. That some students fit into clear gender stereotypes while most do not. That the mandatory freshman orientation play that trains students on how to address date rape and sexual violence on campus was not booked this year. That the hot line number for anyone who has been sexually assaulted on campus is incorrect on the flyers. That those flyers can’t be put up because there are no flyers allowed on campus. That a film crew wanted to shoot here but said it didn’t look like a college campus because there were no flyers anywhere. That some students put up flyers anyway. That some feminists are comfortable jumping down anyone’s throat who attempts to disempower them. That this readiness to stand up for the feminist cause is a good thing but can also be a bad thing because it can keep us from engaging in productive dialogue. That this lack of dialogue makes feminism feel stagnant. That wearing our gorilla masks around Halloween makes people think we are just adult trick or treaters. More about our performance of “Feminists Are Funny” in part 2.

PODCAST INTERVIEW - Guerrilla Girls On Tour!

Poster Workshop at Rollins College

Check out Madama Ambi's PODCAST interview with Aphra Behn, Edith Evans and Eva Le Gallienne at Rollins College this past week!

http://madamaambi.blogspot.com/2011/10/guerrillagirls-on-tour.html

Sex, Power and Speaking Truth: Anita Hill 20 years later.

I was so happy to be able to attend this conference with thousands of other feminists on October 15^th at Hunter College in New York City. The speakers were amazing and the organizers did a great job of moving the conference along to inspire and promote dialogue that will no doubt lead to more advances towards the end of sexual harassment in the years to come.

Moments I will remember include:

Charles Ogletree of Harvard (Anita Hill’s lead lawyer) remembering that Derek Bell said “We have to equalize society if we are ever going to make progress.” Lani Guinier remembering the positive side of the hearings with “…it was the first time that middle class blacks were on TV.” And my all time favorite comment from the brilliant Melissa Harris-Perry of Tulane who summed up the current focus of congress this way: “If we can just control women’s utereses there will be more jobs.”

I was inspired by the conference and today am having a first meeting of women in theatre to organize an event to address the continued lack of parity for women in theatre. The Public Theatre in NYC will not be producing any plays by women this year. They, unfortunately, they are not the only theatre doing so this season. It seems that it is one step forward and two steps back for theatre women.

Anita Hill gave the keynote. She reflected that the congressional hearings 20 years ago do not define who she is today and urged us all to reclaim our lives and live the lives that we want to.

Women and people of color in theatre must speak the truth. We must speak out against sexism and discrimination in theatre. Stay tuned for details on “Occupy Broadway”. - Aphra Behn

Pan Am

A view of the new TV series Pan Am – by guest blogger Liz C. Chassey

It seems that the TV industry is just as willing as ever to disregard women’s history for the sake of ratings. The most recent offender is ABC’s new show Pan Am. Despite the show’s accurate costumes and sets it neglects to include an accurate account of women in the airline industry in the 1960s.

Real flight attendants in the real 1960s faced sexual discrimination on a regular basis. The job of a flight attendant was touted as a way for young women to see the world but the job duties included fluffing the pillows and lighting the cigars of male passengers, often while wearing skimpy outfits.

Stewardesses were constantly subjected to physical inspections i.e. weighed and measured to ensure that they remained within a certain weight range. If one of them was found to be over the weight limit they were expected to steadily lose weight or be fired writes Kathleen Morgan Barry in Femininity in Flight: A History of Flight Attendants.[1] She also recounts that many flight attendants felt they were clones of each other and were expected to fit the model of the perfect woman at all times. In addition, stewardesses would be fired if they got married or were found to be secretly married.

As Gail Collins writes in her book When Everything Changed,[2] when the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which was formed in order to defend people who faced discrimination at work, first opened office the staff expected to be fighting racial discrimination. However, stewardesses were the first to come knocking. The airlines fought the push for equality in courts and in Congress with logical fallacies such as “businessmen would be discouraged from flying if the women handing them their coffee and checking their seatbelts were not young and attractive,” writes Collins. However, the flight attendants fought harder. They struggled to prove that not only young, attractive women could be flight attendants; men could do the job, as well. They strove to remove the word “stewardess” from the airlines’ vocabulary. Finally, in 1973, a bit of progress was made; a court decision eliminated the rules on appearance.

The Pilot of Pan Am, which aired on Sunday, September 25 at 10 pm, does not do justice to the struggles of the flight attendants during the women’s movement. There are certainly moments of promise; at the beginning, one of the principle characters is shown being weighed and inspected as real 1960s stewardesses were. However, no more than a mousy “Is that necessary?” is said in protest by anyone on the show. Another stewardess leaves the office of what is presumed to be a counter-culture protest group to fly last minute. But as soon as she boards the plane, she fits herself nicely into the role that is expected of her.

Perhaps the biggest let down of Pan Am is the avoidance of the sexual discrimination that real 60s stewardesses faced. The pilot’s end shot is the four principal stewardesses walking through an airport in the same outfit with the same walk and the same empty smile. One of them looks back at a small girl and smiles at her as if to say, “this can be you someday.” Yes, little one, someday you will have to fight fiercely for rights that should be innate in an equal work place.

Will future episodes of Pan Am include respect for women’s history, the women’s movement, and women in general? TV does not need another show founded on sexism.

---

[1] Barry, Kathleen Morgan. Femininity in Flight: a History of Flight Attendants. Duke University Press, 2007.

[2] Collins, Gail. When Everything Changed. New York: Back Bay Books, 2010.

Museum of Motherhood opens in NYC!

Photo courtesy of Amy Gates at http://crunchydomesticgoddess.com

Check out her awesome blog!

Edith Evans and Aphra Behn did a short performance last night for the opening of the Museum of Motherhood (401 East 84th St in NYC). We asked everyone we knew what they would put in a museum of motherhood:

I would put a stopwatch in a museum of motherhood. The first five years feel like 20, and the next 20 feel like five. From a mother for 22 years named Martha

I would put a video that records the daily, quotidian tasks of mothering and just put in on a loop. My experience with mothering has been that often after hours of juggling mundane tasks, the most unbelievable joy that you never imagined surfaces, and you just hold it and are so incredibly satisfied. - From a mother for 6 years named Ripeheart

I would put something strong like a rock. Something soft like a flower. A piece of baroque music and a statue of the blessed mother who would keep it all in focus because she is the mother of us all. - We are all mothers for anyone we care for so this is from someone who’s been a mother from the age of 10 named Eve.

I would put Laughter, Strength, Joy, Intelligence, and Significance. - From a mother for 29 years, 2 months and a pregnancy of 9 months – Diane

I would put a "book report diorama". A bottle of childrens motrin. Chicken Nuggets. Coupons from babyGap, Childrens Place and Gymboree and the book: "healthy sleep, happy baby". - From a mother of 11 years named Robyn

I would put in a rollercoaster, both exciting and scary at the same time. - From Marionna

I would put a tantrum, a diaper, and the first real conversation you have with your child because those moments disappear so quickly. - From a mom for 7 years who didn't know she needed a boy.

I would put a box of tissues because a mother needs tissues to wipe the tears of joy from her eyes at the happiness a child gives to you; To wipe the nose of her child when they are sick and to wipe away your sniffles when your child finds a significant other who now becomes the most important person on the earth to them. From a mother for 44 and 1/2 years named Mrs. Fitz

I would put photos that people take of their children - not professional photos - snapshots by parents - how they see their children and what they choose to capture of them. - From a mom for 21 years named Maryanne

I would put a bronze bust of my bust because it is an ever-evolving place of food, sleep, aid, comfort and hugs. My chest has become home base. - From a mom for 5 and 3/4 years named Terri

I would put a special hearing aid that puts interruptions in cogent order. A vending machine to dispense items to children as NEEDED (not desired). An extra brain in a jar that could be sutured to my left shoulder in times of high demand (that would be waking hours). A periscope with a Google Earth camera at the end of it so I can see where my kids are at all times. And a large red sign that attaches to the shoulders and continuously flashes the word NO in bright red (that is my default answer to almost every question). The alternate words on the flashing sign woud be "can you justify that request?" - From a lesbian step mom for 29 year and a 'moms' (because that is how our oldest addresses us) for 13 years named mamalamadingdong

I would put diagram of a woman being pulled in a million directions. - From a mom named Rizz

I would put the earth itself in honor of the feminine body because we are all born, from her, equally. - From a Mom named gash girl

I would put my own mother because she is incredible. - From a mother for 30 years named Katie

I would put a bar where they served free drinks to Moms at all times. - From a mom named Georgina

I would put the idea that it never ends. - From a mom for 35 years named Jean

I would put an aunt. Aunts are important. I love being a mother but being an aunt by relation or by choice is awesome. I had some crazy southern aunts who supported me and gave me perspective that my mother sometimes didn't have. Aunts do some important mothering as well. - From a mother named Martha

I would put pictures my kids made in kindergarten. At that time their concept of family was the same as their concept of love. - From a motehr for 18 years named Maria

I would put a special sort of sleeping area where mothers could sleep without interruption, perhaps a special headset would play tapes allowing them to believe that all is well with their children. Also an area where teenagers can sleep through their teen years and awake, like sleeping beauties on their 21st birthdays, fully ready to participate in life, having slept through those traumatic teen years safely. - From a mother for 39 years named sleepless

I would put letters from my son and a shawl he bought me in India. - from a mother for 19 years named Eva

I would put a clock because I am always racing against it, lagging behind, checking milestones, not having enough of it. Or a big role of electrical tape for the mouth of those perfect strangers with unsolicited advice/ criticisms. And if you wanted something more sentimental a video of my daughter running toward the viewer with that amazing smile ready to give you her hardest embrace. - from a mother for 13 and 1/2 years named Stella

For more info on the museum of motherhood go to www.MOMmuseum.org

IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT CHOICE ANYMORE

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Portfolios now on sale! Monkey Business: The First 10 Years includes limited editions of our first 16 posters: For more info posters@ggontour.com

Feminists Are Funny: Gay Pride Edition

Watch us at Lincoln Center's Target Free Thursday's June 16, 2011. "Feminists Are Funny: Gay Pride Edition" with Aphra Behn, Josephine Baker, Edith Evans and Eva Le Gallienne!

The F Factor: Female artists of The Bahamas

Wanted to share this article from The Nassau Gardian by Sonia Farmer about the F Factor exhibit:

"...the dynamic exhibition “The F Factor: Female Artists of The Bahamas” opened at The D’Aguilar Art Foundation, showcasing work in a wide range of media from 24 established and practicing female artists based in The Bahamas.

For curator Holly Parotti, the show is a culmination of experiences that she and her contemporaries have faced over the years — from exclusion to outward sexism — both as artists and simply just as women.

The show itself is even drawn from extensive Bahamian collections in the care of two women, Dawn Davis and Saskia D’Aguilar. Viewers may even be pleasantly surprised to find a piece each by both of these powerful women alongside the work by female artists they supported and promoted through their collecting.

Parotti was inspired by the spirit of the Guerrilla Girls, a group of anonymous female artists, formed in New York City, that addresses sexism through powerful — and some may say antagonist — artwork, especially sexism in the art world itself.

“Collecting the work from this group, I asked myself, what were these women thinking when they decided to become an artist and to really put that into their perspective in life?” Parotti says.

“I think it’s a conversation to have with the male and female artists in this community, to ask when did you decide to become an artist? What was going on in your life? Were you raising a family? Were you getting married? It’s that whole part of Bahamian culture of what happens in a young woman’s life that she makes those decisions that could take her one way or another, based on the pressures that may be put on her from whatever sources.”

Read more here: http://www.thenassauguardian.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11995&Itemid=59

Calling All Alaska Native Artists!

The Alaska Native Heritage Center announces an exciting opportunity for Alaska Native writers and other artists. Alaska Native Playwrights Project (ANPP) seeks to identify, teach and nurture Alaska Native playwrights and to establish a repertoire of uniquely Alaska Native plays derived from the rich oral tradition of Alaska’s indigenous cultures. Last year’s initial cohort completed nine plays, all of which received readings at Cyrano’s Playhouse to launch Anchorage’s Alaska Native American Indian Heritage Month celebration. Subsequently, three of the plays were included in the Play Lab of the 2011 Last Frontier Theatre Conference in Valdez, AK, and two were invited to the Native Voices Playwrights Retreat and 13th Festival of Plays, with readings at LaJolla Playhouse in San Diego and the Autry National Center in Los Angeles. Now, they are recruiting our next cohort of ten Alaska Native artists from across the state for a year-long mentorship. Call for Participants, Artist Application and FAQ Sheet are available online at www.alaskanative.net.

For more information: Email ebourgeois@alaskanative.net or call (907) 330-8057.

The deadline for artist applications is August 31, 2011.

Go bananas Alaskan women in theatre!

Women's Caucus for Art exhibit "Man as Object, Reversing the Gaze"

Our poster My Fellow Californians was selected by the juror Tanya Augsburg, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Liberal Studies (Creative Arts and Humanities), at San Francisco State University, for inclusion in the Man as Object, Reversing the Gaze, an exhibition to be held at SOMArts Cultural Center, 934 Brannan Street, San Francisco from November 4 – 26, 2011.

About the Women’s Caucus for Art

The Women's Caucus for Art (WCA) is the leading national organization for women in the visual arts professions. Founded in 1972, it has 27 chapters across the country and is an affiliate society of the College Art Association. WCA is dedicated to the cultural, aesthetic and economic value of women’s art. If you are not already a member, we invite you to join a WCA chapter so you can participate in an activist community of women artists. Visit www.nationalwca.org.

Have a Feminist 4th!

Happy 4th of July to all feminists! Here is our favorite video of Grucci fireworks over Lady Liberty in New York City Harbor. Enjoy and have a safe and happy 4th of July!

xxxGuerrilla Girls On Tour!

www.facebook.com/GuerrillaGirlsOT

"Lesbian, Vagina, Feminist!" - our show at Lincoln Center

June 19, 2011

Dear Diary, 


Three days later and I'm still reeling from our show at the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center - Target Free Thursdays! on June 16^th.. The day started with a marathon 4-hour rehearsal. We then donned our new bright yellow jumpsuits designed by GGOT costumer Liz Claiborne and headed out. We quickly learned how difficult it is to hail a cab in New York City dressed as a Guerrilla Girl On Tour! Thank goodness for our rock star tech grrl Laura Keene. She saved the day and whisked us off to Lincoln Center. Upon arrival we were greeted by the amazing staff and coordinators of the Atrium - and instantly felt at home.

The show was a huge success and a fun romp through historical and current feminist and LGBTQI events and issues. At the end we were asked why we felt LGBTQI issues were relevant to our stated mission of focusing on discrimination and racism. Why do 'queer issues' become so important to feminists? Because the people of a culture cannot be free if one group is being discriminated against. The concerns of every minority group are the concerns of feminists. We then posed with audience members for photos - everyone from young feminists, to baby dykes, to a mom and her [5-year-old] daughter. The mom with the young girl told me that she was a single mom and that she went through college - as a women's studies major - with her child. She pointed to her daughter and said 'she's been to tons of feminist events already' - her face was full of pride and her smile absolutely lit the room. 

Last to leave were a group of senior citizens who came together in a van from their senior center. With walkers and canes they lined up, smiling and thanking us all for the show. We often look out on multi-generational audiences - but this time a truly diverse, and completely full group met our masked gaze. Many thanks to all! 


Until next time – Eva Le Gallienne

Dearest Blog,

A place you would take refuge in only if you were desperate to escape one more summer thunderstorm your mother didn't warn you about. That is how I remembered the public atrium at Lincoln Center. Not any more. The David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center is gorgeous and green. The die-hard regulars enjoy sandwiches and Wi-Fi and Target Free Thursdays.

We members of Guerrilla Girls On Tour! didn't know what to expect. The audience is used to jazz music. They want their jazz music. They show up for their jazz music. Who are we? A bunch of feminist in masks and bright yellow jump suits carrying around a supply of ripe bananas and not so ripe statistics. Are we swanky? NO. Are we smooth? NO. Are we a little be-bop? Nah. But we did rock the house. Can I say that? Why not.

Thank you audience. Thank you playwright in the front row whose jaw hit the floor at the unbelievable statistics of women playwrights on Broadway from 1908 to the present. Thank you lovely woman in the front row who was holding too much in her hands to snap so tapped her feet instead. Thank you lovely man audience right who stepped in as the “question from the audience” guy when the first audience member backed out. Thank you first audience member for pulling out your glasses and giving the “question from the audience” your best shot. Thank you two lovely ladies from the all girls high school for loving the show and having a chat afterwards. Thank you younger sister from the Florida University who started the feminist blog on her college campus. Thank you older sister for introducing her. Thank you Julia Miles for producing plays by women and announcing those from your seat in the audience during “announcements from the audience”. Thank you everyone for supporting the Marriage Equality Bill. Thank you toddler for joining in the chant during the sound check. You are precious and adorable.

It was a happy, happy night.

xoEdith Evans

Dear GGOT Diary,

Wow! What an amazing show! We just performed at The Atrium at Lincoln Center. Lincoln Center! Can you believe it? It was all in honor of Gay Pride Month. And now, with the new ruling honoring gay marriage in New York, how apropos! We're so current :)

Right before we began making our entrance, I could feel that my wig was a little tighter than normal. And, as we grew nearer to the stage, I could feel it ejecting itself off of my head! It was like it was alive, and wanted no part of me! I just prayed that it would stay on, and not come flying off during our dance sequences! I tried to make jokes, but it was a serious deal. I never have wig problems! Eventually, I was able to move around enough pins to insure that I wouldn't loose it.

Finally, I could fully focus on the show - our energy was so high that the audience quickly got swept away in our feminist furor!

For me, there were two highlights of the night. The first came when I went into the audience to find a guy feminist. I looked out, and spotted a man who looked perfect. So, I go to him and ask him to participate in the show by reading a question. At first he was really excited. He even asked if he should come on stage! But then when it was time to read he started fumbling for his glasses, and it became pretty evident that he couldn’t do it….the words just weren't coming out right, then he looked at me and goes 'What does this mean?' I, myself, became confused! Do I walk away from this guy, and find someone else? Or should I force him, in true Julia Child style, to read the damn card? I decided to ask him what he wanted to do, and as I figured, he did not want the job. So now, on to find someone else! I asked the guy next to him. Nope. He wasn't into it. I called out into the general audience. No takers. I began feeling a little disheartened. Like I had blown the joke, and now, no one would be into it. But then, the girls started motioning toward a man who would do it! And he was great. Thank Goddess!

The second highlight was when we debuted our new song "Lesbian, Vagina, Feminist!". The audience sang, and clapped along with us. We totally rocked out with our vaginas out, and it was so much fun.

Thank you Lincoln Center – Next stop Avery Fisher Hall!

Xxxx

~Josephine Baker