Past issues
Feeds
The Paper in print
Twitter
Facebook
Contact
Email updates Twitter Facebook RSS Feeds
Are you ready for some gender politics?
A new play from Williamsburg’s Half Straddle Theater Company celebrates high school football, except that the players who punt, pass and kick just happen to be girls.
“I loved the movie ‘Jackass 3-D.’ I want to see girls being that awesome and playful and stupid, but also really caring about what they’re making together,” said playwright Tina Satter, who got “obsessed” with “Friday Night Lights” and was inspired to write “In the Pony Palace/Football,” beginning at the Bushwick Starr on Feb. 8. “In ‘The Pony Palace,’ they’re female athletes who happen to play football, and it’s not even commented on.”
Of course, it’s difficult to make a play about girls who play football and not have some comment on it. And yes, on one level, it’s about slyly subverting gender norms by reclaiming the most American — and masculine — of sports. But it’s also about team spirit, camaraderie and the teenage politics of high school, as the loose plot follows the girls from practices to parties to games — where they’re even aided by cheerleaders and a live marching band playing Lady Gaga songs.
“It’s almost a weird idealization, like, let’s not even deal with boys,” said Satter. “It’s just girls and they get to rule.”
“In the Pony Palace/Football” at the Bushwick Starr (207 Starr St. between Irving and Wyckoff avenues in Bushwick, no phone), Feb. 8-26. Tickets $18. For info, visit www.thebushwickstarr.org.
©2011 Community Newspaper Group
By submitting this comment, you agree to the following terms:
You agree that you, and not BrooklynPaper.com or its affiliates, are fully responsible for the content that you post. You agree not to post any abusive, obscene, vulgar, slanderous, hateful, threatening or sexually-oriented material or any material that may violate applicable law; doing so may lead to the removal of your post and to your being permanently banned from posting to the site. You grant to BrooklynPaper.com the royalty-free, irrevocable, perpetual and fully sublicensable license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, perform and display such content in whole or in part world-wide and to incorporate it in other works in any form, media or technology now known or later developed.
Print this story
Digg this
Del.icio.us