Reed College departments of Theatre, Art, Political Science, English, the Dean’s office, and the Cooley Gallery, are pleased to announce that Aphra Behn of Guerrilla Girls on Tour!, an internationally acclaimed anonymous theatre collective, will be on campus with a performance lecture: Act Like a Feminist Artist: what no one told you about starting a grassroots movement. Aphra shares her experiences as a feminist activist for almost 20 years as a member of Guerrilla Girls (1997-2001) and Guerrilla Girl On Tour (2001-present). Revealing the inside workings of the grassroots groups she discusses the successes (protests, fax blitzes, speak outs and street theatre); the struggles (hate mail, death threats, backlash); and the downright defeats (sabotage, infighting). Act Like a Feminist Artist challenges audiences to rethink the concepts of what it means to be "grassroots," "activist," "artists," or "feminist." The talk is framed with readings from Aphra's upcoming memoir, "UN/MASKED, My Secret Identity Revealed" (forthcoming from Skyhorse Publications in October of 2016). If you have ever wondered what it is like to be a feminist masked avenger check out Act Like a Feminist Artist--what no one told you about starting a grassroots movement.
Guerrilla Girls On Tour! is an anonymous touring theatre company of 33 women trained in a variety of comedic theatre techniques who develop unique and outrageous activist plays, performance art, and street theatre. All of their work is presented using masks and draws from a variety of classic theatre techniques such as vaudeville, parody, sketch, improv, slapstick and song-and-dance resulting in a distinct feminist theatre style. Guerrilla Girls On Tour! aims to educate, entertain, and ultimately transform their audiences into identifying as feministists/activists/artists. In addition to creating new plays and performances Guerrilla Girls On Tour! also trains and educates via workshops, gallery exhibits, master classes and community collaborations which have resulted in participatory performance projects and site-specific productions that include local women's history. The troupe has presented over 200 performances and workshops around the world addressing reproductive rights, war, sex trafficking, hunger, herstory/history/hirstory and violence against women in the US, UK, Poland, Argentina, South Korea, Spain, Japan, China, Hungary, Slovenia, Greece, Ireland, France and Sweden. They can be reached at www.guerrillagirlsontour.com or tweeted @GuerrillaGsOT. In 2010 Guerrilla Girls On Tour! received the Yoko Ono Courage for the Arts Award.
-15-minute Q & A will follow the lecture.
To contact Guerrilla Girls On Tour, visit www.guerrillagirlsontour.com
Or write to [email protected]
Or call: 917/742-2973