October 3rd, 2010 maggie
Ms. Swingline emerged from the stacks just in time for us to interview her and get you excited about the new show! Plus reading suggestions!
Describe your piece for the new show in 140 characters or less:
Midwest femme realness. I <3 Bruce Springsteen, sparkly cowboy shirts, and awkwardly-awesome burlesque moves.
Describe what the new show will be like:
Brilliant, funny, sexy, and fierce!
What are 5 essential things you’ll be bringing to the show?
1. The aforementioned sparkly cowboy shirt
2. New lipstick + lipgloss! (Last time I bought new makeup was for last year’s Femme Show. I sense a tradition in the making.)
3. Snacks…perhaps some pita chips & carrots to go with all of that hummus?
4. Something to read — Dreamworlds of Alabama and Breakfast at Mimi’s were my Portland backstage-downtime reading
5. Pasties
Why should people come to this show?
Because we’re taking risks and trying new things, and it’s going to be beautiful and amazing! So you can watch us perform daring feats of physical strength, emotional honesty, and sartorial invention. Because you‘ll be a better – or at least a more attentive, enthusiastic, and engaged – audience than the cats who’ve been observing our living-room rehearsals.
*note from Maggie: Actually, Stella did not say that, the Boss did in “Open All Night.” Bruuuuuuce and queer femme identity and critical interpretations of burlesque are my three favorite things!
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October 2nd, 2010 maggie
I ran into Lolita LaVamp at the rainbow tutu store and she answered my questions. We are so excited for her to join us!
Describe your piece for the new show:
Lolita LaVamp portrays a circus performer/side show freak in her dance number “The “She” Thing…I Am”. This dance piece spotlights the stigmatization of the transgender woman. More often than not transgender women are mischaracterized; satirized in a way where they are not seen as real individuals. Transgender women are often treated as freaks, portrayed as comical clownish characters that are made fun of and too often not taken seriously enough.
“The “She” Thing…I Am” plays with the idea of the trans woman being a side show freak but in this piece the attempt is to show the humanness that is the queer trans female identity…and that “I Am” more than just this queer trans woman/side show freak. The intent is to show that “I Am” this beautiful talented empowering female embodiment despite the very real stigma of transphobia that exists.
Describe what the new show will be like in 140 characters or less:
The new show is featuring old and new acts expanding the vision of diversity that is the queer femme identity. The Femme Show is smart as it is sexy. It is a fabulous show about queer femme identity that is articulated through monologues, dance and performance art from some very spectacular people. Both empowering and entertaining.
What are 5 essential things you’ll be bringing to the show?
- Diversity
- Trans Identity
- Grace
- Courage/Pride
- Trans Empowerment
Why should people come to this show?
Because it is a fabulous queer women’s art show and because I’m in it (j/k…no seriously! LOL).
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October 1st, 2010 maggie
photo by Sara Stell, littledynamitephotography.com
In which I answer my own questions.
Describe your piece for the new show in 140 characters or less:
SPPSSM will school the audience in courtship for feminine sapphists and those who love them.
I explore the invisiblizing of femmes in history in “Wives of Passing Women.”
Tell us what the new show will be like:
Hard hitting. We’ve got some fun times with hula hoops and hip hop, comedy, glitter and high high heels and circus costumes, but I feel like this year’s work about history, family, being butch in the femme show and more are going really deep and will be seriously thought provoking.
What are 5 essential things you’ll be bringing to the show?
only 5? I’m bringing my whole house!
1. foam roller
2. petticoat
3. Hat box
4. extra white gloves, just in case
5. a small iced red eye with skim milk
Why should people come to this show?
As my GF (now promoted to Lesbian U-Haul Merged Domestic Life Partner) says, we’ve got snappily dressed queers and tasty baked goods.
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September 30th, 2010 maggie
Ms. Kahn, AKA Miss Llewellyn, AKA the funnier half of SPPSSM, shares her thoughts with you.
Describe your pieces for the new show:
1a: SPPSSM opens a finishing school for lovelorn Sapphists! Hilarity ensues!
1b: New spoken word work about the intersection of passing, privilege, queerness, professional roles, and teenagers being ten million times smarter than I am.
Describe what the new show will be like in 140 characters or less:
I don’t even need 140 characters! It’s 100% brand-spanking-new femme and friend fabulousness!
What are 5 essential things you’ll be bringing to the show?
1. Diet Coke (duh).
2. Chapstick (Burt’s Bees)
3. A contribution to the communal hummus fund
4. A sewing kit for that pesky SPPSSM cape.
5. Probably about 6 more pairs of shoes than I could ever possibly need, but not enough stockings or shirts.
Why should people come to this show?
The new work that’s happening this year is super exciting. It’s smart and funny and hot and challenging and interactive, and I think it’s going to be a lot of fun for folks to be a part of. Also, we spent the summer packing venues all over the east coast, so we’ve got plenty of people to vouch for how awesome it’s going to be. Also: the posters are gorgeous and our shamelessly self-promotional social networking plugs are hilarious. Also also: people should come to the show because we’re asking so politely, and good manners get you everywhere.
What’s your pick for a new tag line (can be funny or serious)
Can I even tell you how much I love this question?! I’m the world’s biggest fan of completely appropriating lyrics from pop songs and pretending they’re about the Femme Show. My current favorite pop song tag line is totally stolen/paraphrased from the Drake/Lil Wayne modern classic “Miss Me”: “The Femme Show: ‘Cuz our verses turn you on, and our pants are very fitted.” (Are we going to get sued for this?) (Note from Maggie: Let’s hope not, that would cut into our hummus budget.)
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September 29th, 2010 maggie
We are psyched to be offering you a special sneak peek of Lolita LaVamp’s femme show performance this Saturday at the Somos Latin@s Pride Reception and Awards Ceremony. This is going to be a really special event, come on down.
For a full schedule, check out their site here.
Latino Pride Reception, Saturday October 2
THE SHERATON BOSTON (39 Dalton Street) in the Independence Ballroom Join us for the Awards Ceremony and Crowning of the 2010 Miss Massachusetts Gay Latina (EVENT CHANGE, PLEASE NOTE)
Please join us for a night of awards, entertainment, and crowning this year’s Miss Massachusetts Gay Latina. Program will include: mingling, awards ceremony, performances from the 2008 Miss Massachusetts Gay Latina, The crowning of this year’s Miss Massachusetts Gay Latina, and a one act teaser from The Femme Show’s fall 2010 tour. Additionally, there will be a cash bar and heavy appetizers.
We have significantly reduced the admission to the event to allow more of our community to attend. This is an event NOT TO BE MISSED! Please purchase tickets online at www.latinopride2010.eventbrite.com for $20 and $30 at the door. This is a 21 + event, proper ID required. If you are interested in purchasing a table please e-mail: somoslatinosma@gmail.com
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September 29th, 2010 maggie
When it rains, it pours. When femmes-and-friends get organized, they offer you a plethora of events to make up a fabulous week!
Thursday, Oct. 7 we’ve got your FIRST chance to see our hot new show, of course. 8:00 PM at the Cambridge YMCA, 820 Mass Ave. AND a super after party at the Tavern on the Square, right down the street at 730 Mass Ave. The party is free and sponsored by MadFemmePride. You can also see the show on Friday, October 8. Same bad time, same bad place, no work in the morning (for most of you, anyway, your friendly local producer will be teaching baby ballerinas at 9:00 AM).
I also highly recommend this event: Ain’t I a Woman? Diversity Speaks on Femme Identity and Feminism on Thursday, October 7 from 7:00pm – 8:30pm.
Wait, you might ask, why is the Femme Show blog telling me about an event that overlaps with their biggest event of the year? Lots of reasons! For starters:
1. There are never enough spaces to talk about femme and feminism in a thoughtful, supportive environment. And we certainly don’t talk enough about the different ways femininity and femme look in different cultures! This is so so important for femme and qwoc communities (which of course are not mutually exclusive) to talk about.
2. We have two shows! You can spend Thursday in thought-provoking discussion, then head to the Tavern for the after party (and maybe some mac and cheese, mmmm) and see the Femme Show on Friday!
3. Or you can multitask, you over-achiever, you! You can catch the first part of the discussion and then skip right across the street and see the show at 8:00 PM.
Here’s all the info on the QWOC+ discussion.
QWOC+ Boston has been invited to co-host Boston NOW’s October Feminism and Dessert discussion and we’d love for you to join us!
We’re inviting you to show up and jump into what promises to be a candid and informal conversation about FEMME IDENTITY and FEMINISM as experienced by WOMEN OF COLOR.
Opening up this conversation are three very different feminists and/or femmes:
- Spectra Speaks (Founder of QWOC+ Boston | Naija Afrofeminist | http://www.spectraspeaks.com/)
– Idalia Poetry (Organizer for QWOC+ Boston | Nationalista y Poeta de las Mujeres | http://idaliapoetry.tumblr.com/)
– Rayshauna Gray (Organizer for Young Boston Feminists | New Wave Feminist)
We’ll aim to explore the following questions:
– Who is a femme? What does she look like? What does she sound like? Are there cultural differences with this idea?
— What attributes of femininity are traditionally perceived as weak or strong, feminist or unfeminist? Are they cultural differences with this idea?
— Individual experiences with (or without “feminism”) as women of color and allies
When: October 7th
Time: 7:00pm – 8:30pm
Where: Cambridge City Hall Annex *
344 Broadway, 2nd Floor Conference Room
Cambridge, MA
Accessible from Central Square T stop (red line) and the 68, 83, 91, and 64 buses.
Feminist and Dessert is FREE and wheelchair accessible.
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September 29th, 2010 maggie
We chased Amy Rain up Portland’s Munjoy Hill and she agreed to answer our questions about the new show! Read on…
Describe your piece for the new show in 140 characters or less:?
Femme Field-guide is a story about a femme’s attempt to climb a mountain of femme ideals. I’m pretty excited about getting to wear my Camelbak with a skirt on stage. 
Tell us what the new show will be like?
I’ve seen sneak peeks of the new show and it looks like a splendid treat for anyone up for a discussion of femme and/or gender. The new pieces are thoughtful and sexy and based in real-life experience. It’s rare that audiences get to see femininity challenged and celebrated on stage, all in the same show. I’m excited about the conversations that derive out of the show every year.
What are 5 essential things you’ll be bringing to the show??
1. A Ladder.
2. A Mountain.
3. A twirly skirt.
4. Sparkles.
5. A Trail Map.
Why should people come to this show??
The discussion around Femme gender is provocative and hot. People should come to the show to support their fave femmes in their life and continue the discussion. We also always seem to show some legs; an excellent way to spend a Thursday or Friday evening.
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Ms. Swingline emerged from the stacks just in time for us to interview her and get you excited about the new show! Plus reading suggestions!
