The Feminist Play

"I'm not a feminist, but..." are words that you hear often at Russell Sage College. I expected something different from a women's institution, but when you teach you have to meet the students where they are and begin from that point. My colleague Leigh Strimbeck knows this well and explores these issues with honesty and theatricality. Her "devised" theatre production (created by her and the cast) of MIRROR MIRROR looked at body image and the media and WAITING FOR JOE used Beckett's framework to examine cyberbullying.

I just got back from a preview of her latest creation, appropriately titled "I'M NOT A FEMINIST, BUT..." The play looks at the question, why do young women reject feminism as a label, though desire equality with men on every level? It is a paradox that often leaves me scratching my head, though I have to remember that I am an approaching middle-aged white male who, statistically, will make more money than women and deal with less gender discrimination in my career. So who am I know to know about this question?

The evening is a vaudeville of songs, skits and dances that addresses different points of view on the same topic. A series of interviews with women ages 20 - 60 captures the ebb and flow of the feminist movement, a now-you-see-me, now-you-don't panorama. The "Feminists Gone Wild" have a man-dog on a leash and a roving eye for straight girls. "Ghosts of Feminists Past" examines the three waves of the feminism and the spiritual linkage of Alice Paul and Betty Friedan to women of today. My personal favorite number is performed by a scowling troupe of tap dancers to "Mother of Pearl" by Nellie McKay. The comic lyric refrain of "feminists don't have a sense of humor" plays dissonantly against the angry, frustrated dance that never blossoms into joy. It makes me feel sad to watch it.

I suppose that in-between place is where these students live, somewhere in the middle of being told what they should be and wanting just "to be". We ask our students to be "Women of Influence" at Russell Sage College and maybe they struggle with not wanting to appear too assertive, too unladylike or even, too bright. It is an understandable dilemma when our media floats words like man-hater, femi-Nazi and makes other gender distinctions daily about our female politicians, sports figures and business leaders. That is why I am proud that Leigh and our students are looking at the topic and deciding what to do with the word. How do we honor the past and move towards a non-issue?

Call 244- 2248 for tickets and information.