Reviewed by Tracey Paleo, Gia On The Move
“It’s the end of the world as they know it…”
Capturing the zeitgeist of today’s girl empowerment movement, Riot Grrrl Saves The World, is as exuberant as it is insightful.
A world premiere play by award winning playwright Louisa Hill Riot Grrrl Saves The World explores the deep issues that girls more than ever have been questioning and rebelling over with fervor.
You’re a girl. It’s your job or maybe even your forever fate to conform. You can’t really do anything you want. You’re not human. You’re a girl. Because you know, at the core of your body is fear.
…or you could explode!
And that is exactly what they do. Forming a nucleus of team members who create handmade magazines publishing their thoughts of the month and attempting to “change the world” these teens are no less than 100% committed to the the Riot Grrrl Revolution. But when a Jehovah’s Witness stumbles into a Riot Grrrl meeting, dynamics change along with goals, loves and loyalties.
Riot Grrrl Saves The World truly exposes the hearts and minds of teen beliefs, prejudices, frustrations and the best part of what they are willing to be — a force for change from the heart.
Idealism, however, comes with a heavy price especially if you are a high school aged kid without a lot of control, money or power over your own destiny, the decisions of your future lurking in the background, your zine getting hijacked, your community threatening to shun you and worse, the mainstream media wanting to invade your special rebel space to take it down, tempting your compatriots with fame — its most infectious brand of mediocrity. As we discover, the revolution is not about altruism it’s about survival.
There are incredibly potent elements, ideas and stories that come up in this play, revealed through movement, spoken word, music and “the best band ever” created by the girls as a way to gain followers and money for the publishing efforts.
The grand scale change they hope for doesn’t really come to pass. But oddly enough, what they leave behind, sparks a new age of revolution. Riot Grrrl Saves The World is a winner as is each of these girls.
Copyright © 2014 Gia On The Move. All rights reserved.
Written and/or recorded exclusively for Gia On The Move. No part of this Gia On The Move publication, writing, video, or audio may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. Copyright infringement is a crime. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Gia On The Move Permissions Coordinator”. For more information please review our reprints and permissions page.
