THE GRRRLS
ARE BACK, AND IT'S TIME TO LISTEN UP:
FIFTH ANNUAL POETRY & MOVEMENT SHOW SLATED FOR JUNE
May 13, 2005 (Northampton, MA) Provocative, poignant, furious, tough,
girly: the poems of the seven "tween" girls of "GRRRLS
SPEAK" command the listener's full attention.
“Sometimes she tries to write about the lives / of others,
but for some reason she always / opens the door to her own life, and
lets it in, / lets it swim between the lines that she’s / already
written, and squeeze their way in / between, like kids all trying
to squeeze / on a couch.” (Sylvana Loomis-Dulong)
“I could put a period / at the end of each word / or I could
cut myself off / and stop halfway through / but I won’t because
/ the truth is / that my story / isn’t over. (Clara Gardner)
Over the past six years, “GRRRRLS SPEAK” has blossomed
into a highlight of the annual performance cycle in the Pioneer Valley.
Standing-room-only audiences have cheered, wept, mused, and returned
again and again to experience the girls’ blast of clarity and
truth. The sometimes brilliant, sometimes quirky show of poetry with
improvised and choreographed movement has earned a wildly loyal fan
base far beyond the polite obligations of parents and friends.
“I want to walk down Main Street on my hands. / I want to
go with that girl to an imaginary meadow / and eat peaches / and remember
how to smile.” (Kaela Dougan)
For two nights this June, Isobel Arthen, Hannah Levy, Sylvana Loomis-Dulong,
Kaela Dougan, Cera Fisher, Clara Gardner, and Alma Sanchez-Eppler will
again offer to the community the precious opportunity to witness —
and honor — their wisdom, passion, and rage, and perhaps find
an echo of some of our own.
Ranging in age from 12 – 14, the girls have met every Monday afternoon
since September to tell the stories of their days and spin words and
movements into tangible, subtle art. “GRRRLS SPEAK! Seven Out-Loud,
Rock-the-House, Tell-it-like-it-is Grrrls” will showcase new,
original works completely designed and orchestrated by the group members
themselves. Many of the works include sensitive material usually reserved
for adult artists.
“She views the world / with honest eyes / while society continuously
lies /
her heart cries out, representing / what she’s forbidden to
shout out about: / The injustices being served / to people who don’t
deserve / what they’ve been given / (a life that’s not
worth living).” (Alma Sanchez-Eppler)
“This year’s experience has been a real deepening,”
reports Johanna Walker, who developed the project and leads the weekly
workshops. “A few of the girls have been with the group for two
or three years, so their leadership has added a lot of strength to the
group’s process.” Walker offers ideas, games, and ‘structures’
to develop writing and moving skills and pieces. “Mostly it has
worked best if they are in charge – that’s when they truly
engage in the creative process.”
Ms. Walker is known throughout the Pioneer Valley for her work with performance,
poetry, movement disciplines, and young people. She’s been a Poet-in-Residence
at numerous Elementary Schools in the area, and has curated several
cross-disciplinary performance series in the region. She is currently
co-facilitating her fourth year of writing groups for adult women at
the Western Mass. Correctional Alcohol Center in Springfield, “Voices
from Inside.”
The project is funded in part, for the fourth year in a row, by the
“Art Angels,” a local group of artists whose mission is
to share their own abundant resources to support community arts projects
in and around the Pioneer Valley, “particularly to provide empowerment
for beginning artists and to bring art to communities who don’t
usually have access,” explains one of the anonymous donors. In
addition to the Art Angels’ financial support for the performance
and the folio of poems the girls produced, Amherst College donated space
for a weekend retreat to spend intensive time together preparing for
the performance.
Walker explains: “The weekend workshop gives the girls the opportunity
to dive in and set aside all the usual distractions – to immerse
themselves in their artistic process. The community support not only
provides practical support like stage lighting, but also gives the feeling
that these young women’s art is valued and worthy of support.
That can’t be quantified.”
“GRRRLS SPEAK! Seven Out-Loud, Rock-the-House, Tell-it-like-it-is
Grrrls” will be shown twice, on Saturday, June 4 at 8 p.m., and
Sunday, June 5 at 6:30 p.m., at Thornes A.P.E. Performance Space, 3rd
Floor, 150 Main Street, Northampton. The folio of poetry by the group,
Monday Afternoons, Volume 4 (2005), will be available for purchase at
the performances.
Ticket prices for adults are $10, and for kids, $5. The public may
call 413.586.5553 to reserve tickets (highly recommended; the shows
do sell out). Call 413.527.9691, or visit the website at www.johannawalker.com/grrrls
for more information.
# # #
WHAT: “GRRRLS SPEAK! Seven Out-Loud, Rock-the-House, Tell-it-like-it-is
Grrrls”
A performance of original poetry and dance
WHO: Girls ages 12 – 14 who live in the Pioneer Valley:
Isobel Arthen, Kaela Dougan, Hannah Levy, Sylvana Loomis-Dulong,
Cera Fisher, Clara Gardner, and Alma Sanchez-Eppler.
Directed by Johanna Walker
WHERE: Thorne’s A.P.E. Performance Space, 3rd Floor,
Thorne’s Marketplace, 150 Main Street, Northampton
WHEN: 8:00 p.m. Saturday, June 4, 2005, and
6:30 p.m. Sunday, June 5
HOW MUCH: $10 adults/$5 kids
HOW: Call 413-586-5553 to reserve tickets; the shows do sell out.
INFO: 413-527-9691, or www.johannawalker.com/grrrls.
SHORT BLURB:
For the sixth sold-out year in a row, local audiences can listen in
on the poignant, furious, and private hearts of seven girls ranging
in age from 12 to 14. “GRRRLS SPEAK! Seven Out-Loud, Rock-the-House
Grrrls,” a performance of original poetry and dance, will be shown
twice: at 8:00 p.m. Saturday, June 4, and 6:30 p.m. Sunday, June 5,
2004, at Thornes APE Performance Space in Northampton. Tickets are $10
for adults and $5 for kids. Call 413-527-9691, or visit www.johannawalker.com/grrrls
for more information.
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