Twas a night of pure horror! Patrons were ushered up the rickety wooden steps of the Hillhurst United Church only to be faced with a patriarchy haunted House filled with a myriad of knee trembling scenarios. Vulnerable visitors were subjected to a job interview where it was made clear that having a child would mean a demotion (or a lack of promotion, in the very least), a group of mad scientists maniacally developing the ideal woman (cue lobotomy) and a super mom chained to the treadmill of her busy life.
Though tongue and cheek, or vagina and bean bag (you had to be there), Urban Curvz and the Hillhurst United Church’s Take Back Halloween managed to portray the scary situations that continue to haunt woman today. Luckily, like the absurd amount of butter put on the popcorn, the evening’s terror was doused with the wonderful and often hilarious vaudeville acts of Ali de Gret, Jen LeBlanc, Kathryn Smith, Kelly Malcolm, Jenna Rodgers, Ellen Close, Holleay Rohm & Hayley Feiggs and it was delicious!
The evening’s feature event, the screening of WONDERWOMEN: The Untold Story of American Superheroines. was as enlightening as it was inspiring. Though scarily accurate in its commentary, the evening was a blast for all those who came, a celebration of smart, creative people getting together to say something! Oh, and the bloody tampons hanging from the ceiling like tiny ghosts were GENIUS!
-Meg Braem