Why Estrogen Fest?

I felt it was important to post while it was still Women's History Month to say a little bit about the women's movement, our history, and the Estrogen Fest. This is to give our readers, may they be participants or audience in the fest, a point of view of why I have chosen to participate in The Estrogen Fest since 2001.

First of all, I think that art and performance can create consciousness. If the real difference between humans and our animal friends is our level of consciousness, it is critical that we utilize this difference to evolve ourselves further all the time. I think that the level of comfort we have allows us to become unconscious, when what it should do is evolve us. Without a constant struggle for survival, can't we concentrate our energy on how to create a better world?

Part of a better world for me is creating equality for everyone, including women. It has been less than a hundred years since women have been given the vote in the US. I hope that all of you are using yours. The equal pay act was passed by congress in 1963, although since women are still receiving 71 cents to each man's dollar in Illinois, we have a long way to go on that. But alas, the Equal Rights Amendment proposed in 1975 never passed! To all of my young female friends out there I want to remind you that our rights are still not protected as equal under our US constitution!

I think that growing up I believed (wrongly) that women really did have equal rights. I think a lot of young women grow up believing this fallacy and instead of being upset when this turns out to be true, they back off instead of fighting, and accept their "role" in the world as it is given to them. This is the most sad thing to me.

I want women to dream and go for those dreams. I want to see women fighting odds, not complaining or crying, not ripping on men, not focusing their entire lives on relationships with men, but figuring out who they are, what they want, and how they will try to get it. I want women to create their roles, not have them handed to them. I want to see women in charge, I want to see them fight a good fight. By seeing this in art and on stage, I believe that we can encourage women to stand up for themselves and not think about what they "should" do but what they want. I think that the Estrogen Fest does this. We aren't hear to "celebrate" women. We don't even know what that means. We don't need to celebrate, we need to create!

So, if you made it through my post...what about you? Why are you part of the Estrogen Fest or going to see the Estrogen Fest?

It's a very exciting moment

Not only did the estfest.org web site go live, but this week was a special week of connections and chance meetings. This week alone we've brought on three directors: Kimberly Senior returns, Noah Simon gets all estrongen-y doin' it Dillman style, and hopefully the hook up between Lisa Portes and Marilyn Campbell will prove to be fruitful. Monica Payne is looking at directing the 365 plays section of the fest. Kristen Cox (of Chicago Dancemakers Forum) and I spoke, knocking around excellent ideas and contacts for panels and workshops- she has such exciting ideas to offer on dance and theatre collaborations. This morning I met with Renee from the Chicago band Gamine Thief and Girls Rock! Chicago who we are trying to get on the program. And then to top it all of, tonight I'm in this old Lutheran church in Bridgeport at a weekly art/music event called The Orphanage. For a $5 donation we are fed, and fed well. Artful trees grew from the tables, my daughter laughs and jumps around the dancefloor, and following the joyous groove of MiLkBaby, two women took the stage dancing with hula hoops. And I mean dancing! It was fun and sensual and athletic and quirky and beautiful. I approached one of these women, who I can tell has a great sprit, and this yoga instructor named Mercedes tells me how she has found balance within the masculine form of yoga exercises and the feminine, circular motion of hula hooping. I want to hug her. Instead I give her my card and told her I'd love to get her to perform and run a hula hoop workshop at the fest.
So this is the kind of energy I always hope will come out of this festival. It strengthens me to see it taking shape and reaching out farther and farther. As Angela Davis said, "It's a vey exciting moment."

Secretaries: We want your stories!

Calling All Administrative/Executive Assistants, Receptionists, Clerical Workers and Former Secretaries: We Need Your Stories!

Seeking stories of secretaries in the workplace. I need your story or the stories of your friends, co-workers or relatives experiences—especially seeking those that worked in secretarial position pre-1980. Final stories will be used in a piece at the end of May for the Estrogen Fest 2007 called“You too could be an Executive Secretary!”

Please post them here OR submit to SecretaryStory@estfest.org before Administrative Assistants Day on April 25th. Pass this along to anyone you know who might have a great secretary story!