Every woman must learn to love herself in the midst of a world telling her all the reasons not to. Hunger, written and performed by Ebony Stewart, is the story of one woman’s journey toward that love. Through a mixture of poetry, storytelling, and music, Stewart speaks about the pain of growing up with a […]
Review: Emma When You Need Her
I am somewhat ashamed to admit as a feminist that I didn’t know that much about Emma Goldman or her life. But when I saw the Vortex Theatre was featuring a devised play about a female anarchist and activist trying to smash the patriarchy and capitalism, I figured, I’m in! And I was not disappointed. […]
Review: 2015 Fusebox Festival
One of the more interesting thing about attending festivals is seeing how different performance pieces speak to one another. In their second week, the Fusebox Festival line-up included some interesting offerings at the intersection of performance and technology. Michelle Ellsworth’s performance piece, Preparation for the Obsolescence of the Y Chromosome, is a meditation on a world without […]
Austin’s Fusebox Festival: The Measure of All Things
There are times when I’m reminded that performance can be a transformative event, and am honored to witness the magic uniquely found when a group of individuals come together to share their time, energy, and attention with one another. The opening night of Austin’s Fusebox Festival proved to be just such a moment. When I […]
OUTsider: Pythia Dust
I really hate to end my coverage of OUTsider Festival on a negative note. I spent most of the day working another job, but I was excited to end the festival by seeing Pythia Dust at the Vortex. I figured it was too cold to really enjoy the closing party at Cheer Up Charlie’s anyway. […]
OUTsider: Connections, Conversations, and Family
One of my favorite aspects of art and performance is putting related pieces into conversation with one another, enriching the conversation surrounding a given topic. I’m so very happy with the way OUTsider Festival’s programming is facilitating those sorts of conversations, and I only wish I had the opportunity to participate more fully this year. […]
OUTsider Fest: Queerness Past, Present, and Future
The creators of OUTsider Festival in Austin really did their homework as far as covering a large scope and breadth of queer art and performance in the programming. Which on the one hand, is refreshing and inspiring. But on the other hand, means that there is just so, so much to discuss. Festivals, conferences, art, […]
OUTsider Fest: Khmer Classical Dance
I never feel quite so Western as in those moments when I’m confronted with Asian modes of performance. So it’s only fitting that the second night of OUTsider Festival in Austin featured a performance by Prumsodun Ok, a practitioner of Cambodia’s Khmer classical dance. I think it’s important to be aware of and claim those moments […]
OUTsider Festival: Narcissister and Gay Wax Museum
I wasn’t sure what to expect when headed to see Narcissister for the opening night of OUTsider Festival in Austin. Narcissister’s name is what it sounds like; the complication of our cultural understanding of the narcissist juxtaposed with the idea of sisterhood, and how being a “sister” relates to the identities of women of color […]
Review: Thr3e Zisters at the Salvage Vanguard
Zombie feminist theatre. That’s what Thr3e Zisters, the Salvage Vanguard’s new interpretation of Anton Chekhov’s The Three Sisters, claimed to be. I was intrigued, excited. This, I thought, is a show I must see. As those familiar with the theatre world know, Chekhov adaptations are a dime a dozen. I’ve never been hugely enamored of […]