Play a Day: Family of Origin

A woman cleaning house. Woman: “Wash the dishes after dinner.” “Clean as you go while cooking.” “Put your water glass in the sink when you’re finished with it.” “Don’t leave your things in the middle of the floor.” “Fill the ice cube tray when it’s empty.” “Don’t eat in your room.” “Take your hair out […]

Play a Day: Show and Tell

A banner hangs from the ceiling reading “show and tell.” A line of people form a queue to the microphone stage left. Each has an item. They speak in silent pantomime and take their turns explaining their object and its significance. One woman’s hands are empty. She takes hey turn at the mic in silence, […]

Play a Day: Mother

A woman stands in front of the card shelf at a store. A large sign overhead says, “Mother’s Day” with the date. The woman stares at the sappy Hallmark sentiments silently. A voice from off-stage recites an endless litany of negativity, criticism, guilt-tripping, emotional blackmail, and and unsolicited advice.

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. […]

Tick Tock

I don’t have a maternal instinct. I hardly know how to talk to kids, let alone raise one. Besides that, I have a lot of things I want to do with my life, and children don’t factor into that.

In a lot of ways, having kids is still the default setting for women. But it shouldn’t be. The response to a woman saying she doesn’t want children shouldn’t be a wink and the word “yet.”

It just really gets under my skin. Having some straight, married woman tell me that I’ll probably decide I want children sometime in the next ten years.