What do you have when you place lesbian and bisexual writers, poets, musicians, and women who just want speak their minds under one roof with a mic? The answer: Dyke Mic.
"We wanted to put into place the idea of multidisciplinary and open mic kept coming up and we wanted to create a forum that was open to writers, actors, dancers and musicians. [ JT Newman ] expressed an interest in heading it up and I said go with that," explains director Kelli Strickland about Dyke Mic's origin.
I got a chance to talk with writer Newman and director Strickland, two key women helping to make Dyke Mic a household name among Chicago lesbians. Newman co-hosts Dyke Mic with musician Lisa Hahn. You might also know her as the advice columnist for DykeDiva and Nightspots. Strickland is one of the co-chairs for the Bailiwick Lesbian Theater Initiative.
WCT: Why do you think that Dyke Mic is so popular?
JT Newman: I don't know. The Bailiwick gave us a late-night time spot and we thought that would be a good thing and it is in an all-ages' space. There is not a lot of stuff out there for young queer people and it is good that it is not in a bar. We try to present as many diverse acts as possible and now a little community has grown out of it.
Kelli Strickland: I think that part of its popularity is that it is not in a bar and it is great for a lot of the younger women who are under bar age. Dyke Mic provides a really supportive, safe haven for non-experienced performers. And another thing that makes it special it that it is incredibly diverse in terms of age and color. We have people from different walks of life.
Newman: Yeah, last week we had someone there as young as 16 and as old as 55 so it really runs the gamut.
Strickland: It goes back to the idea of diversity. I think that it is really lovely to go to an event where you get a 16-year-old high school gal [ just coming ] out and a 55-year-old woman talking about her veteran track record of relationships. It is not that often that you get that kind of range. It doesn't represent one viewpoint.
WCT: I haven't heard of some of the names. I was feeling totally outside of this segment of the lesbian culture until I read C.C. Carter will be one of the performers. Do you feel that this is reaching across cultural and racial lines? Or is this an artsy younger audience?
Strickland: I hate to say younger and artsy because it belies what I was just saying but there is a younger contingency definitely. But I think that is one of the reasons that this is exciting because you do see people that you don't see everywhere. The featured performers are different than the people who take part in the open mic.
Newman: One of the things that we work really hard on is diversity; I really try to get a diversity of acts. I am aware of reaching different audiences including the Trans community. The crowd is mixed but it is predominately white lesbians but reaches across the age lines. It changes the face of the Bailiwick because it is predominately upper class white men and this is really a different crowd for them. For me, a theater ticket is an investment, I'm an artist and I'm going back to graduate school so I really don't have a lot of money, so if I spend $25 it better be worth my money. So it is cool to have a cheaper event in a theatre setting so people can come and see the arts and be part of the lesbian culture.
WCT: How do you find acts?
Newman: I have a huge bag of people that I know from LadyFest, plus I send out an e-mail and I have personal friends who are performers. I also have groups like Hysterical Women forwarding it and Dyke Diva has been a really great partner.
WCT: What else would you like to see Dyke Mic accomplish?
Newman: To be a positive place for young women to express themselves to be a part of a community that is not necessarily involved with drugs or alcohol. Not to sound Pollyanna, but it is good and I wish that I had this type of space when I was younger.
WCT: What has been your favorite show?
Newman: Well, I have so many favorite performers so I would say all of them [ laughs ] . I really enjoyed the Big Smith Kings, they are a percussion ensemble. And, I am always really touched when young people perform; they are really nervous and you can tell this is a really powerful thing for them.
WCT: What do you think this adds to lesbian culture?
Newman: In terms of lesbian performers, it gives a place to have a space to perform in which is not always available for young lesbian performers. In terms of audience, it is like an underlying assumption in our community that lesbians don't necessarily go to the theatre and this is a great opportunity to get lesbians used to going to the theater.
WCT: What do you like about the Chicago lesbian community?
Strickland: Well I came out in Kansas City, Mo., and there were few options to finding a social structure. When I moved back to Chicago, it was amazing how many places there are. It doesn't feel limiting.
Newman: The thing that I love the most is that they are visible.
WCT: What do you like the least?
Strickland: We tend to be awfully hard on each other. There is all of this diversity but we tend to pass judgement on those groups that are not our own. We should be encouraging, especially since there are so many people in mainstream America who are willing to punish us.
Newman: It is kind of conservative like the Midwest. I feel like a wild and crazy girl sometimes and I'm really not. I would like to see more wild and crazy, not in that weird circuit party way but in crazy performance stuff happening. Like the Burlesque Show at Star Gaze, I want to see more stuff like that.
WCT: We sometimes think that sexual orientation is enough to bridge all of our differences and sometimes it is not.
Strickland: Maybe the positive spin is that we do expect it to surpass all of that so we do expect better of ourselves. So maybe we are not being rough on each other, that we just have high expectations [ laughs ] .
WCT: If you have never been to Dyke Mic, why should you come?
Strickland: There is something really exhilarating watching people express universal feelings artistically. It is a lofty pursuit and it is fun and exciting watching people try.
WCT: What do you hope is the future of Dyke Mic?
Strickland: I guess that I hope it has longevity, all signs point to yes right now. This is a great way find lesbian performers who are enthusiastic. And we are getting in new talent all of the time.
