FANNY MENDELSSOHN TAKES ON THE COLLEGE OF STATEN ISLAND

10/21/14

Dear Diary, 

Why, hello!  Long time no see.  It was great fun to rise up out of the grave again after a little hiatus to visit The College of Staten Island with Azucena, Isadora, and Aphra on October 21^st. 

The day started early with the journey across land and see to that far and distant borough.  We kicked off our visit with a poster-making workshop.  The group, all students in an acting class, were very engaged and got fired up about a wide variety of issues to make posters about: the Ebola media craze, parking issues at their school, domestic violence, misconceptions of feminism, animal abuse, and more.  I think my favorite poster was one made about misrepresentations of feminism, and how gendered language – like, “you throw like a girl” or “man up!” - affects men AND women.

Azucena, Isadora, and me during the workshop

A group works on a poster about “sexy” Halloween costumes

After the workshop, we had lunch and explored the College of Staten Island campus a little.  Apparently, there is a law banning smoking anywhere on all CUNY campuses city-wide – and CSI will not have you forget it!  There were so many foreboding signs reminding us that smoking was illegal, we ended up throwing some jokes about it into our performance later that evening.  We also may have sneaked a photo or two of a student blatantly smoking a cigarette in front of one of those signs…but he’ll never know it was us!  Mwahaha…the benefits of anonymity.

After lunch, we rehearsed in the beautiful theater at CSI and met our student volunteer, Crystal, who would be making her performance debut (first EVER!) with GGOT.  I love working on “Silence is Violence” because in addition to interacting with the audience and dancing and singing like the feminist fools we are, we also get to play around with scenes and play characters in our segments depicting tactics for fighting date rape.  I think Azucena’s performance of a frat boy is one of the most hilarious things I’ve ever seen – even Crystal had trouble keeping it together in rehearsal.

The performance was a hit.  We and the audience all had great energy, and they were with us every step of the way.  There was definitely a variety of opinions in the audience in response to our feminist spin - we could tell by their responses during the show as well as by their questions  afterwards – but it was all in good spirits and overall, they were engaged and responsive and that’s the best we could ask for as performers.  

After the show, one student even came up and interviewed us so she could include us in a project she’s doing for a class.  Cool!

Thanks College of Staten Island – it was a great day!

Lots o love,

Fanny Mendelssohn

What 11 years was like for me - Michelle Knight

Michelle Knight, one of Ariel Castro's victims, showed up in person at his sentencing hearing yesterday shared her story of what she said happened to her and the other women held hostage by Castro for years.  This poem was created from the words in her statement.  

What 11 years was like for me
 I missed my son every day
I cried every night
I wondered
what would happen to me

Gina was my teammate
dying from his abuse
she nursed me back to health
we said we would
make it out alive
someday
we did.

I will overcome
I will not let you define me
I will live
on I will prevail
help others
be a stronger woman
know there's more good
than evil
you will die
a little every day.

after 11 years, I am
finally being heard
your hell is just beginning
my name is Michelle Knight

Complete transcript: http://www.twincities.com/national/ci_23777116/testimony-excerpts-from-ohio-kidnapper-sentencing?source=rss

This is what a feminist looks like!

April 19, 2012

This mask makes me Isadorable 

We had a adventurous tour to Old Dominion University.  It began with an exciting flight to Norfolk.  After a hiccup on the runway, the plane needed a “reboot” - the pilot explained it was just like ctr-alt-delete for us PC users.  As you can imagine, we were all a bit worried. However once in the air, the flight went smoothly and we soon found ourselves in the green and lush state of Virginia.

For the first time ever – everyone in the audience at ODU got a banana!  But they deserved it - what great and supportive audience showed up for “Silence is Violence”.  Thanks to all for taking the night off from your studies to spend the evening with us.  We had the pleasure of working with ODU student, Josh, who volunteered to jump into the action of our show without looking back.  Josh, you are a  fabulous improviser.  I loved your genuine and earnest responses during the improvs.  Your enthusiasm and energy certainly gave us the extra boost we to fight violence against women. To show you what I mean, here's one improv we did called "tongue twisters".  That's me and Cena watching a football game with Josh as our frat bro. 

Thanks to those who stayed after the show to chat with us, take photos and have your posters signed.  It’s wonderful to hear the stories from the trenches of the hard working feminists we meet everywhere we go.

Before we left Norfolk, we got a chance to explore their lovely

Norfolk Botanical Garden.   We saw enchanted forests, colorful butterflies, and baby bald eagles in a nest high in the sky.  It was beautiful place and a great way to spend out last few hours in town.

Thanks for a great last tour of our 2011/12 season. Until next time.

Peace and love,

Isadora Duncan

More Monkey Business at ODU!

Azucena Villaflot comin at ya!

Darling Journal,

Yee haw!  What an action packed pair of days!  I met up with the girls in the wee hours of the morn, ready to jet-set down south.  Well, we may have been ready but the jet had a bit of trouble getting started.  Not to worry – all it needed to do was “power down”!  Apparently, planes function similarly to laptops these days.  Who knew?  After only a brief moment of feeling the need to call my mother and tell her I loved her, all was well and we were taxing down the runway.  Of course I did what I always do on airplanes.  Sleep with my mouth open.  Before I knew it we were in Norfolk (which I still can’t pronounce without making it sound like a dirty word).

Isadora Duncan, Me, Bea Arthur 

Virginia is very green – a lovely change from New York City grey. We made our way from the airport and checked into the hotel where everyone felt compelled to say “Hello, how are you?”  Fascinating.  Next, we skipped over to Old Dominion University!  Whoo hoo!  Rehearsals went smoothly, especially after Josh showed up to save us when our student volunteer suddenly remembered she had a class!  Now I’ve heard ‘em all.  But we lucked out with Josh -- one of the most enthusiastic volunteers I have ever seen.  Thank you Josh!  You rock (and are now a permanent Baboon Boy member of the GGOT’s. 

BABOON BOY BEATS CHEST - JOSH!

The show (Silence is Violence) was a blast!  Even though the audience numbers may have been small, they were fierce.  Just another example of how size doesn’t mean a darn thing!

The girls had a delicious post-show outing where I was able to try my first “Norfolk Nojito”!  Similar to a Mojito except you get to put some muscle into it and mull your own mint right at the table!  After this long day, we all did like trees and slept like logs (mouth closed this time).  The following morning was spent at the beautiful Norfolk Botanical Gardens.  Here we witnessed turtles, butterflies, trams full of children, and more trees!  What a lovely way to say goodbye to this fair state. 

Can’t wait for the next Guerrilla Girls On Tour Adventure!

Hugs and kisses,

Azucena Villaflor

Sexual Assaults on Campus

Last week UND student Josh Brorby wrote a horrible op-ed piece for the online Dakota Student in which he described how to rape a woman. It was printed and responses have been extreme. It was horrible and disgusting but what also bothered me is the number of negative responses to the article about equal the positive ones.

There was a great piece by Kristen Lombardi yesterday describing how sexual assaults on campuses are always shrouded in secrecy. She reports on one student’s efforts to pursue her rape complaint via the college judicial system.

Roughly one in five women who attend college will become the victim of a rape or an attempted rape by the time she graduates. A recent study found that more than 95 percent of students who are sexually victimized do not report to police or campus officials.

Rape culture abounds on the UND campus, on college campuses across the US and the world. Rape culture is writing about how to rape a woman, getting it published and applauded.

Guerrilla Girls On Tour’s past three performances have been of our show “Silence Is Violence” that addresses date rape and violence against women. There are women and men on college campuses who realize the need to address a problem they face and bring it to the forefront. Let’s hope UND is next on our tour list.

Link to Sexual Assault on Campus Shrouded in Secrecy by Kristin Lombardi http://www.publicintegrity.org/investigations/campus_assault/articles/entry/1838/

Link to One-night standing: the Method by Josh Brorby
http://tinyurl.com/UNDrape

-Aphra Behn
December 2, 2009
New York City

University of Hawaii, Hilo Tour Diary

Aloha Diary,
Sometimes flying is not about freedom. Sometimes it's about sleeping with your head on the tray table and moving so people can go to the bathroom in the appropriate locker-sized room in the back of a collection of steel vessels that somehow gets me from East Brooklyn to Northern Hawaii. Josephine Baker and I both elected to function on no sleep en route to the Big Island. We could have attached little anchors to our eyelids as we walked through the Phoenix airport, but we decided it would get in the way of the lost cities of Atlantis we were dragging from our eyelids, and we didn't want to mix our metaphors too early in the day. There's appropriate and then there's inappropriate, and Josephine Baker and Julia Child know the difference. (As if I really had to say that to YOU, diary.)

We made it to Hilo sans Aphra Behn, who was sitting on the tarmac in Atlanta. God was punishing her for being hopeful about an upgrade to business class. The stunning Myhraliza greeted us with leis and a ride to our glorious accommodations next door to Coconut Grove, where we drank Hawaiian beer and pretended to be awake in paradise.

Love,
Julia Child
April 5, 2009


Aloha Diary,
Today we gave a poster-making workshop to the folks in the Hilo Theatre Department, as well as to their radiant Chair, Jackie. They were masters at theatre warm-up games like the name game, which we retitled "I'm Jumpin' Julia." (But of course.) They were also quite adept at silently granting one another permission to take each other's places in a game called "yes." Sadly, we had many false starts when we started to play Big Bootie, but I can't say I didn't contribute to our collective failure to have rhythm we could all be proud of.

Then we wrote down all of the issues we're extra passionate about in Hilo, and got down to the business of making posters. Three groups made brilliant, powerful collections of taglines and images about Drugs/Peer Pressure, Domestic Violence, and the ever-complicated Hawaiian Identity and it's political implications. Applause to the
charismatic geniuses in the Hilo theatre department.

We also took a stab at rehearsing our show, "Silence is Violence," but we were pleasantly distracted by some traditional hula rehearsal in the outdoor halls on campus. We sat and watched the nuanced gesturing of 40 or so folks in sarongs for more than an hour. Could have been days. We were entranced.

Then we couldn't find any restaurants open past 8:00. Yummy!

Goodnight!
Julia Child
April 6. 2009

Aloha Diary,
Today we hung out in Downtown Hilo and I got the raddest airbrushed shirt from Auntie Beth's. She put a piece of lace over the shirt and airbrushed the pattern with purple paint. I keep trying to wear it in New York with flip flops, but every time I go outside it's absolutely frigid. So I put my Quebec sweatshirt on instead. (Remember what I
said about appropriate?) I also patronized Bear's Coffee while I was downtown, and they made a fab soy latte. Though I have to say, it did out price a NYC soy latté at $4.50. I must have looked like I would pay that much for a soy latte. I would and I did.

Then we performed for a nearly full-house in the Hilo cafetorium. The audience was so generous with their laughter and applause. Sometimes we weren't even saying funny things and they were in stitches. Mayhaps I was sporting a "kick me" sign I wasn't aware of? Lei'a was our student volunteer, and she was a fabulous improviser. Sure to be a force to reckon with in the world of political theatre in the future. Lola and Myhraliza kept bringing us the yummiest selections from the beautiful buffet, steamed buns with
pork inside, fried tofu, the freshest pineapple this side of heaven, the works!

Then we went to the only bar open in Hilo, Shooters, and had the bartender make us the only touristy drink he could think of: The Rock Bottom. Karaoke was a dollar a song and even though it's a recession, 10 dollars pretended like it wasn't. I enjoy being a girl.

Mahalo and Aloha,
Julia Child
April 7, 2009

_______________________________________
Day 1: April 5, 2009
Julia Child and I arrived on the Big Island today. I have to admit, I was a little taken aback by the very rainy weather. It wasn't cold, but a little chilly, and not really what I was expecting from Hawaii. But seriously, after the very unspring-like temperatures in New York, I'd take it!

Upon arriving, we found out that Aphra had been having trouble with her flight, and were instructed to meet up with Myhraliza instead. Aphra would be in later that evening.
Myhraliza was amazing from the beginning. She greeted us with beautiful lei's, drove us to our hotel, and made sure we got in safely. Needless to say, after a 12 hour flight, we were pretty exhausted, and thankful for her hospitality. Without it, we would have had to wait another 2 hours in the airport for Aphra!

We settled in, and the first thing I did was take a shower. I had to get that airplane funk off! Dinner was a salad from the hotel restaurant. And let me tell you, the bed was welcome!

Day 2: April 6, 2009
Today was workshop day! It went great. They were theater students! Theater students are full of great ideas, and aren't afraid to be silly and outgoing during warm-ups.

This group was pretty enthusiastic, although there were one or two who were having a hard time letting themselves go completely, and not over-thinking everything. It was also apparent that the group was having a hard time understanding the more internal and specific aspects of free association.

By the end, though, there were 3 great posters. After all of the ideas that were thought up, they were narrowed down to Domestic Violence, Peer Pressure, and Hawaiian Commercialization and Stereotypes. The domestic violence group did the best at collaboration and their poster had a fantastic and compelling image.

We were also able to find an amazing volunteer from this group! Her name is Lei'a. I could tell immediately that she would be great.


Day 3: April 7, 2009
Well, it's show day. I have to admit, I'm kind of nervous. I always am before donning the mask and taking on my Guerrilla Girl On Tour identity. Stay tuned….

The show went great! They loved us! There was no need for me to be nervous. They laughed where they were supposed to and we got in some awesome adlibs. The improvs turned out perfect. I'm glad we worked on them so much. I think that made all the difference. Lei'a was great, as predicted. She was an instant Guerrilla Girl On Tour, and slipped right in to the parts we gave her.

Now, I know I say this every tour, but this one was my favorite tours. OK, it was in Hawaii and I definitely needed to get away. But U of Hawaii at Hilo was so hospitable, and the audience was amazing. I had a fabulous time! Thanks Hawaii. I can’t wait to return.

Mahalo,
Josephine Baker

Shanghai Day One Update

Hu Yun, curatorial assistant at Zendai MOMa helps Edith Evans, (seated) with Eva Le Gallienne (left) and Coco Chanel (right) as they are interviewed on line by Shanghai Daily.

Check out Zendaiart.com for details of our street theatre piece "Silence Is Violence" on Friday, November 14th in Shanghai

- Aphra Behn
www.ggontour.com

ARRIVED SHANGHAI!

After getting up at 3AM to catch a 6AM flight to Atlanta, Eva, Edith and I were looking pretty sleepy when we met Coco Chanel at the Atlanta airport. She, of course, looked fabulous, tan and has taken on a bit of a southern twang now that she lives in the south.. We boarded our 11am flight to Shanghai and 17 hours later looked even worse than when we started. Our new Shanghai friend, Jocelyn, arranged for us to be picked up by a courteous and totally non English speaking driver and 30 minutes later we were in our hotel in the Pudong district…kind of like what Tribeca was years ago except it has tons of strip malls on every corner…so I guess it’s more like LA was years ago. Our host, Hu Yun meets us in the lobby and gives us our room keys and Eva immediately drops on her bed falling fast asleep. Edith, Coco and I want to take a walk around and end up in the largest supermarket I’ve ever seen where we gaze at the cute packaging on the juices and green iced tea bottles, drawing curious looks from the locals. We head into a well lit restaurant with an English menu and feast on bok choy, fried noodles and wonton soup with prawn dumplings….delicious. Oh and a couple of Xhing Tao’s to wash it all down. Then off to sweet dreams of the days ahead and our street performance piece “Silence Is Violence”. Thank goddess for Ambien.

Aphra Behn
Shanghai, China
www.ggontour.com
© 2008