Some thoughts on Stone Butch Blues and Hartford Fringe Fest Oct 18-20
Maggie
Hello dear friends,
Do you live within shouting distance of Hartford, CT? Do you know someone who does? Then please consider shouting out my little show “Ladies at a Gay Girls’ Bar 1938-1969,” happening October 18-20 at the Hartford Fringe Festival. Smash that forward button, or send them the Facebook event.
Since the debut at the Providence Fringe Festival, I’ve made some revisions, re-recorded voiceovers at the PRX Podcast Garage, had all my audio remixed by a pro, and “rehearsed” full out and in my head here, there, and everywhere.
As I get ready to perform in the city I grew up near/in, where a lot of the memories of activism, queer community, and role models I talk about in the show took place, I am overcome with gratitude for weird wonderfulness of growing up queer in the late 1990s and the unique mixture of love, care, and struggle that I experienced.
I wrote about my tiny slice of LGBTQIA+ youth community and the impact Stone Butch Blues had on it on the blog. Here’s a taste:
Following in the footsteps of Stone Butch Blues, we yearned to fight, to matter, to be in community like the characters in the book did. We centered and idolized queer masculinity.
With all due love and respect for Stone Butch Blues, for Leslie Feinberg and hir work, hir femme characters are tropes, selflessly nurturing young butches and cooking vegetables in butter just the way their butches like them.
What’s next?
I am getting video footage of the Hartford performance that I hope will help me apply for grants and festivals in the next 12 months. There will be a Boston area performance at some point - still working on figuring out when that will best fit into the rest of my life.
Dancing Queerly is in strategy and grant-reporting mode right now, but we’ll have some updates for you soon!
If you want to support “Ladies at a Gay Girl’s Bar” financially, to help cover travel costs, video recording, and an eventual Boston production, you can do so here.
If you have an opportunity or idea for “Ladies,” The Femme Show, or Dancing Queerly, email is the best way to get in touch.
Love, solidarity, and eco-friendly biodegradable glitter,
Maggie Cee
Follow @thefemmeshow on facebook, insta and twitter, and @dancingqueerly on facebook and insta!