Pride Films and Plays Holds 'Support Women Artists Now' Day

On Sunday, April 3 at Rivendell Theatre, Pride Films and Plays is celebrating S.W.A.N. Day by hosting open "mic" performances, live music and talk back with community support group Not In Our House.

Join us for a night of refreshments, women artists and empowering conversation. This night is for celebrating women and their supporters! Admission is free but donations are encouraged for future Pride Films and Plays events.

LezPlay subdivision of the company dedicated to representing and celebrating queer women and lesbian themes in plays, screenplays, teleplays, music and performance art.

Swan Day is brought to us by the WomenArts organization. WomenArts works to empower an international community of women artists and allies by sharing news about inspiring arts projects and opportunities, and by facilitating the annual world-wide Support Women Artists Now (SWAN) celebrations in March and April.

The night will begin with refreshments brought to us by our sponsors Barbara and Barbara Salon, and live music from the talented vocalist Liz Chidester, a Mid-western Finalist in NPRs NewSong Songwriting Competition 2014 who was nominated for Best Female Vocalist in the Chicago Music Awards 2015. Her recent role as "Laura" in Refuge Theatre Projects "High Fidelity" received critical acclaim from the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Musical Theatre publications.

Those who identify as women, come early to sign up for a max of 10 minutes for each performance slot. At 7 p.m. we open up the stage to share your art in whatever medium you feel most comfortable.

Due to the intimacy of the space, there won't be a microphone, but we will be able to provide a sound system for music. If you need sound, please bring an MP3 device that has a standard audio jack. Sign up will be open at 6 p.m. and performances will begin by 7 p.m.

We wrap up the evening around 9 p.m. with "Not In Our House" representative Lori Myers to talk about how no one should be forced to choose between her personal safety and dignity, and her job. Too often in the theater community this is exactly the choice that women must make. Sexual discrimination and harassment, and gender-based violence often occur in the intimate and physical context of a theater production.

On March 2nd, 2015 over a hundred members of the community came together to say, in short, "Not In Our House." Join us on SWAN Day to learn more and become involved with supporting women in the arts.

Also Join PFP for LezFest: A One Night Fling, a celebration of queer women in the arts! Join PFP for an evening all about lesbian empowerment through words, songs, music and performance art on July 18 at 7 p.m. at Mary's Attic, 5400 North Clark.

PFP's LezPlay Weekend is September 2016 at Center On Halsted and features plays, and performances celebrating works for the stage or screen written by women with lesbian characters or themes.

PFP is selling an L Pass to see all of our programming for women for only $50, including 2 main plays, 2 LezFests, LePlay Weekend at Center on Halsted, and the LezPlay Film Fest.

Find more information here.

For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/Pride-Films-and-Plays or www.pridefilmsandplays.com