I am very excited, thrilled, and honored to announce that as part of my research funding this year I am bringing a feminist, nerd burlesque show to the University of Oregon. That show, the now famed Bechdel Test Burlesque, which ran in Seattle in 2013 and 2015, is being reprised not only at UO but also in Portland the following night.
At UO, the show will be a required “text” for my WGS 199 course entitled “Heroes, Monsters, & Queens: Dressing Up as Critical Play” and will coincide with the UO’s Residence Halls’ “Geek Week.” It has been a fun and illuminating experience working with the show’s producers, particularly Jo Jo Stiletto (who is an alum of UO) and Sailor St. Claire. I can now say that I have helped produced a burlesque show.
Here is the show’s press release:
MEDIA ADVISORY
ATTENTION: THEATER, BURLESQUE, DANCE, CABARET, CALENDAR EDITORS ADVISORY FOR APRIL 29, 2016
Contact: Edmond Chang and Jessica Obrist
Email: echang @ uoregon.edu and jojostiletto @ gmail.com
REDHEADS OF THE GEEKPOCALPYSE AND THE UNIVERSITY OF OREGON WOMEN’S AND GENDER STUDIES DEPARTMENT PRESENT
BECHDEL TEST BURLESQUE
Naked. Nerdy. Feminist. This is Bechdel Test Burlesque, the super-powered byproduct of the intersection of feminism and pop culture! Five of the Northwest’s top burlesque producers have joined forces to build a more feminist world through smart, sexy, nerdy burlesque.
Bechdel Test Burlesque is invited to the University of Oregon for a free performance thanks to Assistant Professor Edmond Y. Chang and the Women’s and Gender Studies Department. The performance is presented in partnership with and as a finale event of the Residence Hall Association’s Geek Week. Audiences should come ready to celebrate their fandom and their feminism. Cosplay encouraged.
This special brand of thrill-joy feminism aims to subvert pop culture tropes, celebrate body and sex positivity, and honor strong female characters from fan favorite films, comics, literature, television, and more. This critically acclaimed performance intends to introduce the art of burlesque to a new audience while adding a critical voice to the dialogue around gender, race, sexuality, consent, and nerdy pop culture.
“It’s a great concept, stripping burlesque of all male-centric notions of ‘naughtiness’ and titillation and somatic advertising.” – David Schmader, The Stranger
“…smash the patriarchy with striptease!” – Amanda Vail, Women Write About Comics
“Fucking Awesome” – Alison Bechdel
Details:
Date: Friday April 29th 2016
Times: Doors 7:30 PM. Show 8 PM.
Cost: Free to UO students, faculty, staff, and community on a first come basis
Place: Global Scholars Hall Great Room (GSH 123)
Other info: Ages 17+ Contains some nudity
This event is made possible by the generosity of the UO Residence Hall Association and Residence Life, the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies, the Center for the Study of Women in Society, the School of Journalism and Communication, and UO’s Sexual Wellness Advocacy Team. With added thanks to Phoenix Inn Suites Eugene, UO Scheduling and Event Services, and the Underrepresented Minority Recruitment Program.
And the show flyer:
