National Hug A Cornhusker DAY!

With Edith Evans in front of the Sheldon Museum of Art, Lincoln, NE!

March 12, 2012

University of Nebraska at Lincoln,

A love letter to the jewel of the Midwest:

“From the East coast to the West (and in the center of the Heartland!), Women are the best” and so are the audiences that support them in Lincoln, Nebraska! Guerrilla Girls On Tour! continued our 2012 rock star status in the heart of the Midwest. Listen up, New York... Nebraska supports equality for women in the arts and you should too!

We were welcomed with barrels of bananas (and Trader Joes treats) at UNL by Victoria Hoyt, fabulous MFA student, feminist and artist extraordinaire. The day of our show was as warm and sunny as the disposition of the Midwesterners we met in the Hy-Vee supermarket. We frolicked around UNL's lovely campus, embracing opportunities to pose for pictures with cheeky public art works and chewed on reeds of Nebraska straw like the nearby farmers. Oh Lincoln, NE -- with your football stadium that could house the population of 3 states, your surprisingly good statistics for women-directed theater and your legacy of Johnny Carson -- we love you! But I’m getting ahead of myself. We were honored to perform in the beautiful Abbot Theater, which is part of the Sheldon Museum of Art and we were supported by a meticulous tech staff AKA Donny and Jack (thanks guys!).

We ran through our tech smoothly and retired to our backstage area and low and behold we began to hear the enthusiastic yelps of the standing-room-only crowd gathered in the house. Aphra accidentally locked us our of the stage by clicking the stage door shut and we had to call Victoria on her cell to rescue us. I’m blaming it on her mask being too tight.) Anyway, Jack came to our rescue and we were able to hear the flattering introduction we were given by Jorge Daniel Veneciano, the museum director, before taking the stage. The show began and the crowd was electric! Let's just say that we weren't the only ones casting off bras, slips and girdles in the opening number... The crowd thoroughly enjoyed the show, participated whole-heartedly, taking the opportunity to announce many productions, lectures and art openings on campus and in the area. The audience was diverse with many college students, but also parents with children, local theater artists and supporters like the retired farmer we met who is a member of NOW. We were further inspired by Alisha, our student volunteer, who lent to us her talents for the last sketch and song. She also educated us about a Native American female artist who created quilts, named Elmira “Buffalo Bone” Jackson. I am contemplating dropping “Bea” and going by “Buffalo Bone” to give me more street cred but that's not really fair to Alisha so maybe I'll just rock a leather tunic style top.

Me and a sculpture by Tom Otterness at Sheldon Museum of Art

That's more in character for me. Thanks cornhuskers of Lincoln, for making us feel quite at home in your RED state!

xx-Bea Arthur

Mansfield University, PA tour diary

March 5, 2012

Dear Diary,

Sheep and kittens and feminists, Oh my! It is so exciting to find all these things in Mansfield, Pennsylvania.

“Feminist are Funny: the Mansfield University Edition” was a hit and it was great to feel the audience become energized by funny feminists. In fact, the audience took over the show during our new song “Our Words” as they roared “lesbian”, “vagina”, and “feminist” with such enthusiasm that I bet it could be heard clear across campus. Way to reclaim some female words, Mansfield University!

Isadora Duncan, backstage at Mansfield, U!

After the show it was great to talk to some of the women of Mansfield who fight for equality on campus and beyond. From the female editors of the newspaper to people who work with HAVEN and REACT helping to end violence against women we were glad to hear that fighting sexism is taking many different forms in Mansfield. Thanks, gals, for taking some of our posters with you!

And now for the Isadorable part of the visit...

View from our rooms at the Arvgarden B and B

It was a joy to stay at the Arvgarden where we meet a barn full of sheep and cats. These sheep had spunk and will need it, for they will be giving birth to baby lambs in the weeks ahead (raised for their wool).

Isadora Duncan and Bea Arthur with lambs

It was also great to talk with innkeepers Hilma and Keith about spinning yarn, weaving, and the local history of northern Pennsylvania. We even got to hear about Hilma’s great great grandmother who kept a detailed diary of her life, family, and farming. She reminded me of the importance of keeping a diary like this one for GGOT.

Peace Out,

Isadora Duncan

Dear Diary,

You think Guerrillas are crazy? Try a night in the Pennsylvania countryside with a flock of sheep and some feminists from Mansfield University...Those sheep will run you ragged!

We had quite an adventurous time over in Mansfield, PA with the enthusiastic crowd that assembled for “Feminists Are Funny”. After traveling over hill and dale and even enlisting a Sherpa guide at one point (a long story...) we reached the beautiful Tioga county, where Mansfield University is smack dab in the middle, with a campus carved out of a mountainside. As we ascended campus to the theater building, I was reminded of visiting the island of Delos in Greece and ascending high above the ruins of the ancient town to the temple of the highest honor: the theater! This was a good sign for Mansfield, I thought. It was a good omen and we enjoyed a great audience with enthusiastic feminists, many of whom happened to be young men, who laughed AND asked questions. Thanks to our brothers in solidarity! My only disappointment in our Mansfield University show was the apparent lack of women-supportive activities on campus, especially in March of all times, when it's supposed to be Women's History Month. I was relieved somewhat at the end of show to hear about women's centers in the area and a plea from a lone female on the boxing club for other women to join. How bad-ass is that? She should have a bunch of women join up now. Maybe they can box in Guerrilla Girls on Tour! masks like the wrestlers in Mexico!

xx- Bea Arthur

Reports From The Front: Williams College, MA

Bea Arthur and Edith Evans backstage at WTF!

March 1, 2012

Williams College, Williamstown, MA

Dear Diary and Future Feminists who may discover this (Hint: Sell the movie rights and make millions!)

Guerrilla Girls On Tour! took Williams College by storm! We were delighted to perform on the ’62 Center Main Stage right in the heart of campus, a stunning modern venue with not only great acoustics, comfortable seats and amazing technical capabilities but also several dressing rooms that could count as luxury apartments by Manhattan standards. This theater is also the home of the prestigious Williamstown Theatre Festival, commonly referred to by the Guerrilla Girls On Tour! as “WTF” to reflect the lack of plays by women in past and future seasons. (UGH!) Once the news spreads about how thrilling, moving and hilarious our performance of “Feminists are Funny” is, I hope Jenny Gersten will be inspired to “rock out with her vagina out” and choose more plays by women for Williamstown in the future (and more female directors please!)

L to R: Aphra Behn, Me (Bea Arthur) Allison (our sound tech) and Edith Evans

This audience certainly enjoyed seeing our show….they were very enthusiastic in both their sing-a-longs and in their roistering for more bananas. We were generously supported by an almost all-woman tech staff- (how appropriate!). During our “Announcements from the Audience” section of the show, I noticed there was also a good amount of activities on campus that are featuring women directors, playwrights, choreographers and film makers. Go Williams College! I will certainly be back to bathe in your enthusiasm (and $5 burger specials at the Purple Pub).

Xx-Bea Arthur