5th annual NoPe Conference

Aphra Behn and Julia Child were panelists at the 5th annual NoPE Conference "Dreaming the Americas: Global Change in Performance". The panel's theme was Activism and Performance and co-panelists Zak Berkman, Stephen Duncombe and Chiroi Miyagawa discussed using theatre to make political statements in ways beyond the convention of a traditional play. A dialogue focusing on how theatre is an oppressive space - and how it oppresses women and artists of color -- followed one about how to incorporate art into political protests to make them more effective. The panel was moderated by Kristin Horton of NYU. We really enjoyed it and it was great to be at the Nuyorican Cafe on the lower east side. Here's a shot of Julia waiting backstage. She was having a bad hair day.

Calling All Feminists!

ARE YOU A DIGITAL REBEL?
WANT TO BE A PART OF A GLOBAL GUERRILLA FLASH MOB?
HAVE A CELL PHONE WITH VIDEO AND A YOU TUBE ACCOUNT?

THEN JOIN GUERRILLA GIRLS ON TOUR! THIS FALL
IN SLOVEINIA, HUNGARY, GREECE AND NEW HAMPSHIRE!

This fall Guerrilla Girls On Tour! are launching a flash mob / street theatre tour aimed at proving feminists are everywhere with lights, camera, and action. We’re starting off in Eastern Europe and then making our way back to the US of A. In every city on the tour we’ll collaborate with local feminists and fun loving rabble-rousers to dance discrimination away on the streets. Then, with the help of you and your video camera the world will get a sneak peek of both the fight and the fun.

THE ONLY WAY TO FIND WHERE THE FUN IS TO FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK OR TWITTER:

www.facebook.com/GuerrillaGirlsOT
www.twitter.com/GuerrillaGsOT

SEEKING: PRO and AMATEUR PEOPLE who like to SHOOT VIDEO, DANCE, ORGANIZE, MAKE NOISE and be OUTRAGEOUS.

DATES:
Slovenia – City of Women Festival October 14-17, 2010
Hungary – October 18-21, 2010
Greece – October 22-24, 2010
New Hampshire: - November 18, 2010
(More Tours Planned for 2011)

Guerrilla Girls On Tour! – 2010 Yoko Ono Courage for the Arts Award
“…an air of celebration and some potent satire!” – The London Times
(Want to see your city or town on the list? Fe-mail info@ggontour.com for more info.)

Eastern Michigan University - Guerrilla Girls On Tour

The dozen students who participated in our street theatre workshop were all energized by the end of the day and created engaging 3 minute musicals about sexual assault, transgender issues and the destruction of art. There was a lovely reception at the art gallery on campus after (currently full of women artists in a show called “Women’s Work”).

Julia Child and I tweaked the new version of “Feminists Are Funny” the next morning and we were both pleasantly surprised when we stepped onto the Sponberg Theatre stage. It’s an intimate house with about 250 seats and a savvy tech crew of students…thanks to Josh and Lorenzo for a great tech. And to Michelle Hartung – pictured at right – who spent a year organizing our tour.

We played to a SRO house and the audience was rockin’ as Julia and I went through the issues – feminism, rape, Obama, “Saturday Night Fever” (you had to be there to get this).
Engaging questions from the audience post show. We both felt very satisfied and welcomed for our Midwest tour and leave with warm memories of the funny feminists in Ohio and Michigan that we will carry in our hearts as we head east.

See us in “Feminists Are Funny” at Bridgewater State College and Penn State next. It’s not a performance, it’s a party!

Aphra Behn
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Guerrilla-Girls-On-Tour/49259246907http://www.twitter.com/GuerrillaGirlsOT© 2008