When the film industry finds an idea that works, they tend to use it again and again. And again. In the realm of horror, once a franchise has spawned seven or so sequels, filmmakers capitalize on name recognition by simply going back to the beginning and starting over. This Halloween season’s Carrie represents the fifth […]
Author: Holly L. Derr
Holly L. Derr is the Head of Graduate Directing at the University of Memphis and a feminist media critic who uses the analytical tools of theater to reflect upon broader issues of culture, race and gender. Follow her @hld6oddblend.
Rapture, Blister, Burn
If you are a feminist, are interested in feminism or are in a relationship with a feminist, you need to see the play Rapture, Blister, Burn, by Gina Gionfriddo, because it is about you. This West Coast premiere, currently running at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles, features five characters: Cathy (Amy Brenneman), a 40-something […]
Three Ways to Virtually Role-Play Through Others’ Eyes
Pretty much every new form of media provokes fears that this one will be the end of us. The rise of social media, the prevalence of smart phones, tablets that keep us connected no matter where we are and the Internet itself have all created speculation that we are losing our humanity—that digital connectivity is […]
All-Woman Shakespeare: A Dying Tradition?
Sarah Siddons did it. Charlotte Cushman did it with pants on. Sarah Bernhardt did it in prose. Eva Le Gallienne did it with Uta Hagen. As long as it’s been legal for women to appear on stage, they’ve been playing Hamlet. Next week the Los Angeles Women’s Shakespeare Company will become a part of women’s […]
Who Should Play the New Lara Croft?
In the midst of a dark summer for geek girls (sorry USA Today, one “lady” per movie, except for The Heat, does not constitute a good summer for women), a ray of light has finally broken through. MGM has announced it plans to reboot the Tomb Raider film franchise, and they’ve hired a female screenwriter: […]
Where Have You Gone, Sarah Connor?
Summer always makes me a bit nostalgic for childhood. I remember fondly the excitement of being out of school, the long days with nothing to do but read and the cool refuge from the hot Texas sun provided by a matinee of a summer blockbuster at the local movie theater. Unfortunately, this summer’s action movies […]
The Feminist’s Guide to the Hollywood Fringe
It’s summer, which means elite theater professionals all over America are headed to the country for summer stock. If you can’t make it up into the mountains this summer (or if you can’t afford the expensive tickets to these high-society productions), fear not: Our cities are full of all variety of underground artists hawking their […]