Revolution revisited: WOW pioneers celebrate now

Left: Carmelita Tropicana

Right: Claire Olivia Moed (at left) and Peggy Shaw

(photos: Eva Yaa Asantewaa)

Moments after the thought crossed my mind, Lois Weaver spoke it: "This is like the high school reunion I always dreamed of!" Then she held up a book to show to the merry, over-spilling crowd of, mainly, lesbians of a certain age (like mine) last night at Dixon Place. Co-edited by Holly Hughes, Carmelita Tropicana and Jill Dolan and published by University of Michigan Press, Memories of The Revolution: Celebrating the first ten years of the WOW Café  features "scripts, interviews, photos, and critical commentary documenting the riotous beginnings of this long-lived experimental theater space for women" founded in 1981.

Last night's gathering was pretty riotous, too, with many shrieks of recognition, hugs, laughter and gratitude for the way WOW nurtured community and encouraged DIY spirit and free expression. This funky, spunky theater space launched some notable careers including performance artist Hughes, poet Eileen Myles and Tony-winner Lisa Kron (Fun Home's book and score). "Coming to WOW," Kron said, "changed everything about my life."

Running close to three hours, the show featured numerous WOW favorites, such as the Split Britches team of Weaver, Peggy Shaw and Deb Margolin (performing their goofy West Side Story/Yiddish theater mashup) and the Five Lesbian Brothers (Moe Angelos, Babs Davy, Dom Dibbell, Peg Healey and Kron), reigniting crushes that we had on all these charming and inspiring performers back in the day. One of the strongest moments, though, was a serene one--Sharon Jane Smith, quietly singing and playing her mandolin, drawing her audience closer and closer.

It's heartening to know that, despite the challenge of surviving in a changing New York, WOW Café still carries on (click here). But it's a little sad to have to give this particular event and its audience a hashtag: #WOWSOWHITE. For the most part, it appeared that younger women and people of color found other things to do last night. Maybe that had something to do with the demographics of the cohort celebrated in Memories and reflected in last night's lineup. Or maybe it was the ticket price (which, to be fair, included a copy of the book).

*****

Don't miss the next Memories of The Revolution event--"Memories of The Revolution: Locating Lesbian Culture in the Age of Queer"--a panel discussion tomorrow, March 2, at 6:30pm at New York University's Bobst Library.

The panel, composed of WOW alumnae in dialogue led by theater historian and critic Alisa Solomon and performance studies scholar Ann Pellegrini, will address the impact of feminist and lesbian voices on the downtown New York culture of the 80s and 90s, and discuss the legacy of WOW for current generations. Karen Finley will introduce the event, and Jessica DelVecchio will open it by performing songs from the period.

Other participants include Alexis De Veaux, Gwendolen Hardwick, Holly Hughes, Lisa Kron, Eileen Myles and Carmelita Tropicana.

RSVP to

rsvp.bobst@nyu.edu 

with your name and title/date of the event.

Bobst Library
New York University
70 Washington Square South (at LaGuardia Place), Manhattan
(map/directions)

*****

Help keep WOW Cafe Theater open for future generations of women and trans artists: CLICK!

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Playwright Ira Jeffries passes

The Passing of Ira Jeffries - July 16th 2010

from Ronald Lonesome

Friends, after six weeks in a coma brought on by a massive stroke, Ira Jeffries expired yesterday, July 16th at 3 p.m. She was a patient on the Hospice Unit at the Bronx Lebanon Hospital. Following her wishes, she will be cremated, and the cre-mains will be placed in the columbarium at The Riverside Church. She did not want a funeral or memorial service. However, Maranatha would like to host a program at Riverside Church honoring the life and legacy of Ira. We're asking members of GRIOT, SAGE, Theater Groups, Playwrights, Artists, and other friends of Ira to participate in the planning of this event. Please email us at MaranathaTRC@hotmail.com. Thanks to all of you for your support. Ira was a talented, spirited artist and a loving human being. 

~ Ronald Lonesome

From her Bio from WOW's GRIOT festival

Ira Jeffries has been a playwright for over twenty years and a member of the WOW collective for over ten years. She is a graduate of City College with a B.A. in communications. She has written over twenty plays, most of which have been produced at WOW. She founded Kaleidoscope Theatre to produce her own plays and deal with issues of the lesbian community. In 1985 she received an Audelco Theatre Award for Excellence in Playwriting.

***

Griot Circle: A Gathering of Elders

SAGE

Phipps presents a Li'l more

A few days ago, I wrote about an impressive trio of performers at WOW Café Theatre, including a young woman who calls herself Li'l T. Under her other name, LaTonia Phipps, she presents her own show, Fishing in Brooklyn, tonight at Manhattans's LGBT Center.

This solo spoken word/movement piece--accompanied by drummer Arthur Toombs, Jr.--is inspired by people who have touched Phipps's life, most notably, her mom who died of cancer when Phipps was only 10. Just an hour but, even so, incredibly speedy, Fishing in Brooklyn guides us on a geographical, cultural and emotional journey with major stops along the Black/Afro-Latino diaspora. With physical bravado that belies her willowly frame and strong skills in mimicry, Phipps easily transforms herself into numerous characters in the adventurous life of one young "Tia Lite." Not only a nimble playwright and performer, she is a force of nature, and one can readily see the determination and commitment with which she survived early loss to become a multi-talented artist.

Fishing in Brooklyn
Directed by Libya Pugh and choreographed by Anthony Wills Jr.

Tonight at The Center, 208 West 13th Street (between 7th and Greenwich Avenues), Manhattan, 212-620-7310

Tickets

BGU 2010 tells it like it is

 
Chiquita Brooks, Courtney Dowe and Li'l T
in Black Girl Ugly 2010 at WOW Café Theatre






If I could, I'd render the title Black Girl Ugly 2010 with a big old malcolm-X over the last word, the way director-playwright Ashley Brockington has it. But I can't. You'll just have to imagine that all-important X. Or, better yet, go to WOW Café Theatre, get yourself a program and see it for yourself. Yeah, that sounds good.

Written by performers Chiquita Brooks (Red Alice), Courtney Dowe (Green Alice) and Li'l T (Black Alice) with Brockington, the hour-long BGU is sort of Ntozake Shange crossed with Nina Simone, with maybe a pinch of Audre Lorde. In other words, Brooks, Dowe and Li'l T help us remember that, when it comes to predators out there in the world, "kickass" can be a corrective action, not just a term techies use to tout the latest hot gadgets. They aim to investigate and demolish racist/sexist stereotypes, and their aim is pretty damn good.

There's strong, affecting talent on display, good physical and vocal command, and a book that combines social critique, rambunctious humor and affirmative sexiness in a rare, effective balance. To the extent that audience members can identify and empathize with the experiences of the three Alices--each Alice bearing one of the liberation colors--they will come away feeling clearheaded and energized for whatever the next day brings.

Black Girl Ugly 2010 runs Thursdays-Saturdays through June 26. For more information, schedule details and ticketing, click here. Call 212-777-4280 for reservations.

WOW Café Theatre
59 East 4th Street (between Bowery and Second Avenue), 4th Floor, buzzer 6, Manhattan