MARCH 2022
Celebrate Women’s History Month with a full month of free performing arts offerings and panel discussions amplifying art and stories by women and about women.
Join us for the Unveiling of our She’s a BrickHouse Scroll! The Premiere of the Documentary: A Muse. A Moment. A Movement ! An in depth Virtual Discussion on Mental Health and Female Body Image! Readings of new works centered on the stories of Virginia Beach’s Healer Grace Sherwood and the United States’ first female Cabinet member Frances Perkins! And, of course, our Blow it Out Concert featuring some of the best female musical artists in the 757! And more…
Last year’s inaugural celebration focused on recognizing the outdated representation of women in popular culture from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes to the iconic song She’s a BrickHouse. This year’s celebration shifts focus to reclaim that representation with a call to tell brand new stories or reimagined versions of the outdated stories.
To that end, we are Calling all Artists & Creatives to rewrite, reclaim or recontextualize the message of the song She’s a BrickHouse through any form of art! Rewrite the lyrics! Create visual art! Write a poem! Choreograph a dance! Or simply use it to inspire your own unique work that captures the spirit of our celebration of Women’s History Month!
She's a BrickHouse KIckoff
VIRTUAL: LiveStream
7pm on The Z’s Facebook Page
Join Community Liaison, Sibel Galindez & Concert Producer, Elizabeth Terrell, on Facebook Live to hear about all the events (virtual & in person) The Z is offering FREE all month long! Plus special guest appearances by artists featured in this year’s celebration and how to increase your chances to WIN BIG in this year’s Raffle!
She’s a BrickHouse Scroll UnVeiling & Documentary Premiere: A Muse. A Moment. A Movement
6pm Main Stage Lobby Champagne Reception
Join us as we toast this year’s featured local artists: Renee Calway and Taylor Abreu with the UNVEILING of Ms. Calway’s She’s a BrickHouse Scroll and the PREMIERE of Ms. Abreu’s Documentary Film: A Muse. A Movement. A Moment.
She’s a BrickHouse Scroll
By Renee Calway with contributions from artistic associate Sonya Sunnydayz displayed in The Z’s Lobby.
In its second year, She’s a BrickHouse delves further into history to name and remember women whose stories need to be told. Since last March, names have been collected at community events throughout Hampton Roads and paper has been crafted with community hands. Tour and gaze upon what artist Renee Calway and her associate Sonya Sunnydayz , have done to beautify and codify these names for the “herstory” books.
7:30pm Studio Theater
Premiere Screening of A Muse. A Movement. A Moment. By Taylor Abreu
Filmmaker, Taylor Abreu, is the founder and creator of TaylorMadeProductionsllc, a certified Small Women-owned, and Minority-owned (SWaM) business and production company prepared to challenge boundaries and barriers with opportunities for women in leadership roles– planning, executing, and producing creative, innovative & extraordinarily tailored content.
Ms. Abreu holds a Bachelor of Arts from Adelphi University and a Masters of Art from ODU. This documentary is an extension of the short she created for the Festival last year and is her first feature length film project. It follows artist Renee Calway, as she develops her Beyond the Body exhibit from last year’s Women History Month Celebration and takes a deep look at how moments in society's history and our own personal histories have shaped women's progress socially, politically and in the arts.
Special Land Acknowledgement featuring Red Crooked Sky American Indian Dance Troupe before the film screening.
Featured on WHRO’s Curate here
PLEASE NOTE: Click "BUY" on the performance, select a Donation amount from $0-$50, click "NEXT" and complete the information requested.
IN PERSON
6pm Main Stage Lobby
Hear the stories behind the names collected for the She’s a BrickHouse Scroll and take the mic to add a name yourself! Share the name of a woman whose story you want to hear and why. Plus enjoy the community responses to our She’s a BrickHouse prompt.
The Prompt:
The Z called artists & creatives to rewrite, reclaim or recontextualize the message of the song She’s a BrickHouse through any form of art! The idea was to use the song to inspire unique work that captures the spirit of our celebration of Women’s History Month!
PLEASE NOTE: Click "BUY" on the performance, select a Donation amount from $0-$50, click "NEXT" and complete the information requested.
Youth, Truth, and Wisdom: A Song Cycle About Women
IN PERSON & VIRTUAL Livestream
7:30pm Studio
The Z's celebration of Women's History Month continues with the concert "Youth, Truth, and Wisdom: A Song Cycle About Women". The evening will feature the talent of two women songwriters sharing their songs and stories.
This concert presentation is free and open to the public in conjunction with The Z's "She's A Brickhouse Women's History Month Celebration
ADDED BONUS: Girl Scouts Cookies will be on Sale!
https://www.gsccc.org
PLEASE NOTE: Click "BUY" on the performance, select a Donation amount from $0-$50, click "NEXT" and complete the information requested.
Readings of Excerpts of New Works by Women in the American Dreamwrights Workshop
IN PERSON
7pm Studio Theater
The Z’s American Dreamwrights Workshop is a forum for emerging dramatic writers to learn from established teachers, to peer-review scripts, to collaborate with fellow writers, to hear their works read, and ultimately to bring their creations to full production. It is the only program in the nation of its kind. Playwrights of all experience are welcome, do not pay any kind of fee, and have the opportunity for their work to be presented on The Z stage. This evening you will get a glimpse of that work as actors read excerpts from three new plays:
Grace by Jean Klein & Sibel Galindez
Frances by Chris Anderson
Peace of Still by Sherilynn Cherry
PLEASE NOTE: Click "BUY" on the performance, select a Donation amount from $0-$50, click "NEXT" and complete the information requested.
Virtual Roundtable Discussion: Mental Health and Female Body Images In partnership with NAMI, Tidewater Community College and TheDoArtNetwork
VIRTUAL
7pm The Z’s FaceBook Page
Join Sibel for a pertinent discussion with Mary Crutchfield, NAMI affiliated mental health professional, about the impact unrealistic images of the female body in popular culture have on our mental health and well-being; and Dr.ClauDean Kizart, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Tidewater Community College, about the intersectionality of these themes and how that affects our communities of color; as well as Artist Renee Calway, Educator at Virginia MOCA, about the inspiration behind her Beyond the Body Exhibit displayed virtually HERE.
Post Show Storytelling: Women Empowerment Stories
IN PERSON & VIRTUAL Livestream
4:30PM Main Stage
Following the matinee of the new musical Fountain of You, an irreverent, feminist musical satirizing society’s preoccupation with youth and beauty, and the patriarchal system underlying it all, Sibel will host an open mic centered on Women Empowerment Stories. Everyone is invited to share a 5 minute story embodying this theme. To find out more or sign up in advance email sibel.galindez@thez.org.
PLEASE NOTE: Click "BUY" on the performance, select a Donation amount from $0-$50, click "NEXT" and complete the information requested.
Creative Office Hours
VIRTUAL Livestream
7PM The Z’s Facebook Page
As we wrap up our celebration, Sibel and Liz say goodbye to this year’s featured artists and contributors, inviting them to share what they have on the horizon.
QUESTIONS?: email Sibel.Galindez@thez.org or Elizabeth.Terrell@thez.org
In memory of Sibel's mother, Catherine
1931-2016
