Boundary Crossing... not really about BBWSF but inspired by a moment in rehearsal

From Rachel:

Sometimes, I don't know who I am.

Is that really me walking the dog, singing along openly with George Michael as I go down the street?

Is that really me acting a fool while singing "Little Cabin in the Woods" with teenagers and then throwing my shoulder out?

Is that really, truly me removing my tshirt and bra in rehearsal for no good reason?

Who is this person?  And do people think I am ridiculous?  brazen?  insane?  foolish?  brave?  

I ask this not to prompt direct reply but to rather to reflect that I stand amazed at myself... and I think it is one of the things I like most about me... and am attracted to in others.  The open and out there.  The unexpected.   The unknown.  The serendipitous.   

I gotta put a heat pack on my shoulder now.

distressing damsels

FROM BRIANNA:

When I first heard that I would be playing the Damsel in Distress in a WWE style fight of epic proportions, my first thought was– those two images do not go in the same sentence! And my second thought was, I CAN’T WAIT!

The first showing of our act to the cast was a bit shocking for me. Truthfully I did not expect the audience reaction to be so angry towards the Damsel in Distress. I had not really thought about what it would be like that first week to perform it for an audience to be honest...I had been so focused on learning the fight in our rehearsals with maybe four onlookers. But since that first showing, I keep thinking about why it is that women are so anti-damsel. It seems obvious enough. She is weak and OF COURSE, women are not weak creatures. We have babies, deal with crotch scratchin' inarticulate men, and bleed once a month for God’s sake. I get it. I do. I would not consider myself a weak woman and many of my friends would not fall into the category. I am continually reminded of the strength the modern woman holds. She can be a high power executive or run a country. There is something strong about the woman who wants to be a mother, the best mother she can be and stays home to provide for them. She holds a unique strength that no man can touch...

The second showing to the cast or in some rehearsal (who knows, they all run together) I ad- libbed something about "Well, we all need a little help sometimes? Am I right?" There are two sides to every coin and each sword is double edged. While the women in the audience may boo the Damsel in all her whimsy and glorified submission...the fact remains, we all need help from others (be it women OR dare I say, men?) sometimes. While the Warrior Princess appears mighty and all powerful in comparison to the Damsel...perhaps it is just that I am more aware of my womanly charm and use it to my advantage? Is that not powerful? OR maybe the Warrior Princess isn’t all she seems...while she acts like a tough guy she really isn’t that much more advanced...she still needs her red lipstick and compact mirror. Maybe it is in fact the Damsel who is more honest? She knows what she is and gets what she wants using it? OR maybe the two are different as night and day and one SHOULD win and the other SHOULD lose? I don’t know...

But I’ve enjoyed figuring it out. Maybe this is just me being the actor sympathizing with my character, but I’d be hard pressed to find woman that didn’t have a little bit of damsel in her. :) And it doesn’t have to be such a bad thing! :)

And just for dramaturgical shits and giggles folks, CHECK OUT THESE GORGEOUS LADIES OF WRESTLING:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiXafKF9XCU

Catholicism and Why I Like Jokes That Degrade Women

From Katie Mo:

Why did the woman cross the road?

wait...what's that bitch doing out of the kitchen?

Jokes about women make me laugh until my sides hurt, I really don't like anything in the genre of "chick flick" and often wish to uppercut Betty Crocker in the face. Isn't she dead? How does she keep coming up with new things to put cheese on? Suck it Crocker.

I think my aversion to being the ideal woman started during Catholic education classes in grade school. The teacher would always talk about these great things the men did in the bible: David, Jonah, Jesus, Paul, Peter...(I think I'm just naming random names now and hoping that they are in the Bible). We never talked about women except for Mary and certain saints whose purpose was to nurse the men back to health or pop out babies, I don't quite remember. But, I do remember this one fine day in 6th grade, the teacher was asking us to pick our saint name for Confirmation. Most of the girls were picking saints like, Grace: the saint of loving animals or Katherine: the saint of being lame. I asked the teacher why there weren't any saints who slayed dragons or pillaged villages? She said that they were, but they were harlots and was asked to choose a more "acceptable" woman figure to follow.

Acceptable? I think a whore that blows shit up is way more acceptable than a woman who is there to serve the men around her. I know plenty of chicks who find jokes that degrade women offensive, but seriously, you're offending all women if you can't find the humor in it.

Now, raise your hand if you like boobies!

Question about Joyce Carol Oats quote on female boxers

From Rachel:

In Women's Boxing and Related Activities: Introducing Images and Meaning by Jennifer Hargreaves, the author includes the following in her conclusion

"Novelist Joyce Carol Oates explicitly rejects the idea that female boxing could be a subversive activity when she declares, 'The female boxer... cannot be taken seriously. She is parody, she is cartoon, she is monstrous.'" 

Thoughts?

Link to article: http://ejmas.com/jalt/jaltart_hargreaves_0901.htm.  Or click title of posting.

Female Fighting

From Rachel:

Highlighting a great website Lorraine found recounting the history of female combat.  Just spent my morning coffee time surfing around this site, taking in some articles here and there.   Highly recommend it if you are involved with creating this project.  (Certainly also recommend if you are just catching this posting.)  Link below or click on the title of this posting.

http://www.fscclub.com/history/zhened-old.shtml

In particular there is a a link on the main page to an article on women's boxing.  Riveting.  The author aims to examine the relationship between the physical body (and its use) and how meaning and identity is derived from it and shaped by it.  Are we not attempting to amplify and exaggerate these meanings/identities in BBWSF?  And in doing so, we therefore create new meanings/identities? Not trying to imply this production is so overtly politically and socially active, or that it is so academically minded. But as I wrestle with what "exploiting" means (when I hear the show "exploits women and violence") this is what I think it can result in: capitalizing on the existence accepted (social?) beliefs.... over-inflating them for the purposes of showing their flaws, their falseness.

Stronger core makes a stronger fighter

From Rachel:

Promised I would send this out to everyone. You can do many of these without the exercise ball, so don't use the lack of one as an excuse!

I can also say that if you only do four of the exercises (squats, push ups, lunges, and plank... and if you can with five to the triceps dip) it will still be a tremendous help.

Do 3 sets of 10 reps of each exercise to start. I recommend alternating between moves in pairs (do 10 reps of one, 10 reps of another, back to the first one, and so on...).

Normal Breasts

This is a thermographic image of healthy "normal" breasts.  

Science is cool.

Can't stop thinkin' about the boobies

From Katie Mo:

So, I've done a lot of collaborative work before (Hello, Ryan Whinnem), but never have I been asked to jump right into a scene and just, do it. Now, I have little to no stage combat experience so when I found out I would be swordfighting, with a broadsword nonetheless my first question was, "umm...did I lie on my resume?" Luckily I did not...this time ;) But seriously. I am scared/excited out of my skull to run around with my left boob hanging out whilst waving a sword around.

So after talking about the scene, Lorraine just tells Katie N. and I to go at it with imaginary swords (yes, the two Katies in the show are both Amazons. I'll try not to make it confusing). Before we started, Katie N. and I were whispering furiously on the sidelines, "should this be funny? is this dramatic? what's going on? shit, we're starting...just do it!" And...we did. Seemed like an awkward dance routine at first, but I speak for myself when I say that the second time around felt like we were actually headed in the right direction. If there is a "right" direction. I think there is a fine line between comedy/drama in this scene and the trick will be how to touch on both without making the audience feel too uncomfortable...or maybe that's the point of the act?

I was so pumped after rehearsal that I couldn't sleep. I was practicing rolls in my apartment and definitely kicked a chair down. I felt like fuckin' Chuck Norris.

I digress...I'm so excited to work with this talented group of female artists!

The decision to bare breasts

From Rachel:

When Lorraine first proposed doing a vaudeville show centered around women sword fighting topless, my first reaction was "yeah!" My second reaction was "and I'll be one of them!" And so for almost a year now I have been gearing up for my unveiling.

My husband took the announcement in stride.  As did my parents.  My tattooed and pierced younger sister was slightly scandalized, but accepting.

It was a novelty to share at first.  Fun to mention at parties or over drinks.  Responded to with slightly awed confusion by females friends, and masked anticipation by male friends. 

Then it came out in a public conversation with co-workers that included my boss.  Suddenly it became clear that it was more ... challenging... to tell some people. It was not about gender, age, station, or relationship per say. The words would just suddenly stick in my throat and I would have to almost rest by swallowing them back down so they could pop up and out quicker: "OursummershowisBareBreastedWomenSwordFrightingavaudevilleandIamgoingtobeswordfightingtopless." 

Despite my confident airs, over the winter I began to get fucking freaked out about the idea of upwards of 1,000 people who I either knew well, in passing, or would see again knowing what I looked like without my shirt and bra on.  I started telling Lorraine  that I needed to practice fighting without my shirt on with just the two of us. Even our first night together tooling around with choreography I made a HUGE deal about working through a sequence once without a shirt on.  And I was so embarrassed.  Me--the woman who walks around the gym locker room nude smirking inside at other women who try to cover themselves with 3 or 4 washcloth-sized towels.

Then two weeks ago after a promo photo shoot, I was flipping through images of me in just a skirt, thrusting and parrying with a rapier in the stage light and I realized: What the heck is my problem?  I rock!  I am collaborating with my close friend and conspirator to realize a vision for a show she has been dreaming about for years.  I am making this show with an ensemble of talented, witty, beautiful female theatre artists.   I am taking off my shirt and wielding a sword to show off my breasts and my fierceness.   I am an amazing, confident, strong woman.   And a we enter rehearsal I know that this is one of the more empowering decisions of my adult life thus far.

Stop the whining.  Start the stripping.

Bring it.