Humor

5,000 Women

Jennifer Blaine By Jennifer Blaine3 min read344 views
Jennifer Blaine 5000 Women

Join Me...

Because you want to spark your aliveness & creativity!

The “5,000 Women” festival recognizes the amazing creativity of women as evidenced by the astounding fact that at every moment, somewhere in the world, 5,000 women are giving birth at the same time. As women in the arts, we breathe life into our creations. The intention of the festival is to showcase the creativity of artists in all media and ultimately gather together 5,000 presenters to perform and share works, exchange ideas, and inspire change in our world.

I am doing this festival because I believe we are living in a moment where it is essential to choose to be creative in order to feel connected and alive. We also need entertainment now more than ever. As a child growing up in NYC in the 1970’s, performance art was everywhere, and I am seeking to create a forum where creative expression and entertainment is bursting forth just as I experienced it in my childhood. I am calling it “5,000 women” to emphasize women’s power, but it is for everybody to enjoy. Men are welcomed as collaborators and as support to the women performers.

Over the last 15 years I have been creating and performing one-woman shows with an emphasis on bringing humor to issues of gender, diversity and social justice. I am creating this festival as both a networking opportunity for those of us who already have an active career, as well as those who are envisioning a future in the arts.

The first performance festival will be at Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT on May 21st, 2011. Wesleyan is my Alma Mater and other Wesleyan University alumni are on board to launch the festival. The following performers are participating: Nina Shengold, Aleta Staton, Lisa Porter, Heidi Kole, Karen Gross, Jennifer Blaine, Elizabeth Liang, Stephanie Fungsang, Naaz Hosseini, Nafeesa Monro, Janet Grillo, Tamina Davar, Martha Meade, Grace Overbeke, and Dana Leslie Goldstein.

Be Funny, Be Creative, Make your Life a Work of Art

There’s the performance side… and then there’s…

“Backstage with 5,000 Women”

When I was 16, I saw Lily Tomlin perform on Broadway. Watching her genius, I heard a voice say, “I do that too.” I had no idea where this voice was coming from. It was bold and sure. Then I realized it was coming from me. It was my spirit calling me to go for it. As a girl growing up in New York City I would see a show on Broadway or Off-Broadway or participate in acting tournaments.

The feeling I got from witnessing or being engaged in artistic expression is: time stood still, everything made sense, things fell into place, the things I might not even know were inside me were somehow instantly named and validated. I mattered, I felt I was at home, connected through a network of creativity. I felt alive, free to be myself, confident. Best of all, I had an array of choices.

  • Would you like to have a stronger sense of more access to your creativity?
  • Would you like to experience a profound change from the inside out?
  • Would you like to feel more confident in speaking about what you do?
  • Would you like to feel certainty in changing your world?

You can discover answers to these questions through the “5,000 Women” workshop and support calls.

At the moment, we are doing support calls every other Thursday at 7pm EST.

In the workshop and on the calls, we enjoy the opportunity to learn and grow together and create a community of us creative types. Truly, if you want to make your life a work of art, then “Backstage with 5,000 Women” is for you.

“Join the 5,000 Women Festival today - because sometimes we can see for each other what we may not be able to see for ourselves.”

Jennifer Blaine
Jennifer Blaine 5000 women quote

RIDICULOUS – A Brand New Show for FringeArts 2018 – here’s the press release.

Ridiculous by Jennifer Blaine

Jennifer Blaine, Philadelphia’s acclaimed solo performer, comedienne, and playwright “whose comic genius is like Lily Tomlin and Tracey Ullman” (Philadelphia Daily News) will perform her new one-woman show Ridiculous as part of the 2018 FringeArts at L’Etage (Friday September 14 at 7:30pm, Saturday September 22 at 7:30pm and Sunday September 23 at 4pm.)  Jennifer Blaine has performed with the likes of Chris Rock, George Carlin, and Glenda Jackson (Best Actress Tony Award 2018 for Three Tall Women), and has brought her smart, irreverent humor to premier venues and festivals nationwide. Jennifer’s shows are a balm for those craving some comedy, candor, and inspiration.

Jennifer is a Philadelphia FringeArts Festival favorite, creating original solo works for 15 previous festivals—including a sold-out run of both Dirty Joke (“comedy with a conscience”) in 2013, and Vicissitudes of Travel (2017), a collaboration with Barrymore award winning Philadelphia theater artist Karen Getz.  Acknowledged as “brilliant,” (Chestnut Hill Local) Vicissitudes tracks a family’s journey through the brain surgery of their loved one and is currently on tour at medical facilities and universities.” The playful magic in THE VICISSITUDES OF TRAVEL has the visceral drive of a fever dream—its final destination at once unforgivingly foreign, yet strikingly similar to the place you call home.” (Ken Youmans)

With her FringeArts premiere of “Ridiculous,” Blaine returns to her comedy roots to provide commentary about the current absurd state of the world as well as stories from her personal life. The show intends to be interactive, even taking off from subject matter voted on by the audience. “I’ll explore the intimate space of creativity with the audience in real time and let them impact the performance,” Blaine says. That’s part of the reason the show will be in L’Etage, a glorious gem of a performance space that veritably hugs the audience. There will be improv, audience participation and confessional (possibly embarrassing) stories about motherhood, the patriarchy, and even bestiality. “We’re at a moment where it’s not necessarily safe to be real and honest with one another. I am taking a risk with this piece to do just that. I won’t be appearing as multiple characters, but rather as just a version of myself.” The meta message is that it’s okay — even critical — for us to be ourselves at this moment in time. “I also am letting this show be a bit messy too. I want to tell these stories, but I don’t have an agenda for the audience to have a certain reaction.  I just want them to feel free, be themselves, and have hope so we can move forward out of this ridiculous time. Oh, and laugh.”

One audience member said of Blaine’s work, “she takes her audience on a journey that includes us in happenings relevant to our own lives as well as hers. She makes us laugh and cry and think about what’s important and how we can make a difference.” Come out and experience Ridiculous and see for yourself.

WHEN: September 14 at 7:30pm, September 22 at 7:30pm, September 23 at 4pm

WHERE: L’Etage, 624 S. 6th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147

TICKETS: $20. For info and tickets, please visit https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3556923

SHOW DESCRIPTION:

Escape into the absurd humor of Jennifer Blaine as she wrestles the ridiculous – from motherhood to the patriarchy to bestiality. Blaine (“comic genius like Lily Tomlin”, PDN) invites us to honor ourselves despite a world of interruption & disruption. We can start somewhere, begin to protest, but remember to celebrate.

nifer Blaine, Philadelphia’s acclaimed solo performer, comedienne, and playwright “whose comic genius is like Lily Tomlin and Tracey Ullman” (Philadelphia Daily News) will perform her new one-woman show Ridiculous as part of the 2018 FringeArts at L’Etage (Friday September 14 at 7:30pm, Saturday September 22 at 7:30pm and Sunday September 23 at 4pm.)  Jennifer Blaine has performed with the likes of Chris Rock, George Carlin, and Glenda Jackson (Best Actress Tony Award 2018 for Three Tall Women), and has brought her smart, irreverent humor to premier venues and festivals nationwide. Jennifer’s shows are a balm for those craving some comedy, candor, and inspiration.  

Jennifer is a Philadelphia FringeArts Festival favorite, creating original solo works for 15 previous festivals—including a sold-out run of both Dirty Joke (“comedy with a conscience”) in 2013, and Vicissitudes of Travel (2017), a collaboration with Barrymore award winning Philadelphia theater artist Karen Getz.  Acknowledged as “brilliant,” (Chestnut Hill Local) Vicissitudes tracks a family’s journey through the brain surgery of their loved one and is currently on tour at medical facilities and universities. ”The playful magic in THE VICISSITUDES OF TRAVEL has the visceral drive of a fever dream—its final destination at once unforgivingly foreign, yet strikingly similar to the place you call home.” (Ken Youmans)

With her FringeArts premiere of “Ridiculous,” Blaine returns to her comedy roots to provide commentary about the current absurd state of the world as well as stories from her personal life. The show intends to be interactive, even taking off from subject matter voted on by the audience. “I’ll explore the intimate space of creativity with the audience in real time and let them impact the performance,” Blaine says. That’s part of the reason the show will be in L’Etage, a glorious gem of a performance space that veritably hugs the audience. There will be improv, audience participation and confessional (possibly embarrassing) stories about motherhood, the patriarchy, and even bestiality. “We’re at a moment where it’s not necessarily safe to be real and honest with one another. I am taking a risk with this piece to do just that. I won’t be appearing as multiple characters, but rather as just a version of myself.” The meta message is that it’s okay — even critical — for us to be ourselves at this moment in time. “I also am letting this show be a bit messy too. I want to tell these stories, but I don’t have an agenda for the audience to have a certain reaction.  I just want them to feel free, be themselves, and have hope so we can move forward out of this ridiculous time. Oh, and laugh.”

One audience member said of Blaine’s work, “she takes her audience on a journey that includes us in happenings relevant to our own lives as well as hers. She makes us laugh and cry and think about what’s important and how we can make a difference.” Come out and experience Ridiculous and see for yourself.

WHEN: September 14 at 7:30pm, September 22 at 7:30pm, September 23 at 4pm

WHERE: L’Etage, 624 S. 6th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147

TICKETS: $20. For info and tickets, please visit https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3556923

SHOW DESCRIPTION:

Escape into the absurd humor of Jennifer Blaine as she wrestles the ridiculous – from motherhood to the patriarchy to bestiality. Blaine (“comic genius like Lily Tomlin”, PDN) invites us to honor ourselves despite a world of interruption & disruption. We can start somewhere, begin to protest, but remember to celebrate.