Acting
Celebrating the beauty and heartbreak of the Broadway theater, following a cross section of dreamers and schemers who all have one common desire - to be a "Smash."
An introspective dentist's suspicions about his wife's infidelity stresses his mental well being and family life to the breaking point.
In the early days of the pandemic, Andrea Meyerson, founder of Women On A Roll, launched an online platform for lesbians and queer women. She called it Women On The Net. Five nights a week, Meyerson provided a place for women all over the world to gather and share a wide range of entertaining programming. Feelings of isolation and loneliness were replaced with joy, laughter, and new friends - all via Zoom. An Unexpected Community captures the magic these women shared during one of the most challenging events in our lifetime.
Live performance clips are combined with behind-the-scenes footage and interviews in which the performers candidly share their life experiences, offer insights into the art of comedy, and discuss the obstacles facing gays and other minorities within the entertainment industry. Diverse in their approaches these performers share a talent for humor which speaks to universal human experience. What emerges is a hilarious and inspiring film about the power of laughter to communicate, heal, and transcend social prejudices.
Karen Williams burst onto the San Francisco Bay Area comedy circuit in the early 1980s. As the country’s first openly lesbian Black comic to use specifically lesbian material, Karen’s humor was unlike any other. A feminist and LGBTQ+ rights activist, Williams became known for her quick repartee and insightful commentary. But while her popularity as a performer grew, off-stage she was a single mom, struggling to raise her children. In 1988, Karen founded the HaHa Institute, dedicated to helping others find healing through humor. Award-winning director Andrea Meyerson brings Karen Williams' story to the screen, covering her hard-fought battle to break into male-dominated comedy clubs and the joy that has guided her through it all. Rarely-seen vintage performance footage woven together with interviews from family members and industry colleagues—including Kate Clinton, Marga Gomez, and Diane Amos, as well as Karen herself—reveal the life of this amazingly creative and prolific woman.
What started as a way for some very business-savvy women innkeepers to extend the tourist season in P-Town (Provincetown, Massachusetts) in the fall in 1984 has now grown from a Women's Weekend into one of the premiere lesbian destinations known as Women’s Week. Without the luxury of social media or even email, the women hand-wrote letters to all their past guests, inviting them to come enjoy the beautiful autumn scenery—with a clambake and some local entertainment thrown in. Director Andrea Meyerson takes viewers on a fascinating 30-year journey, through archival footage and photos, interviews with celebrities and founders, and current events and performances, offering a historical—and hysterical—look at what a handful of innovative women can accomplish.
Four women who are lesbian comedians perform and, offstage, talk about their lives: parents and childhood, coming out, becoming comics, the arc of their careers, and its rewards. Marga GĂłmez is Cuban-Puerto Rican, from New York City. She mines cultural differences, her hobby horse, and National Coming Out Day. Kate Clinton, lapsed Catholic, gets laughs there and from the comedy of the sex act. Karen Williams, African-American from Berkeley, talks about aging and about the need to tell her story. Suzanne Westenhoefer inherits her grandfather's humor, and she jokes about Martha Stewart and airport security. Each is serious about the power of humor to reveal what's at her core.
Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon have been partners in love and political struggle for fifty years. With incisive interviews, rare archival images and warmhearted humor, Joan Biren's 2003 film reveals their inspiring public work, as well as their charming private relationship. When they courageously launched the Daughters of Bilitis in 1955, it became the first public organization for lesbians in America. Today, these tireless activists are educating both the LGBT and aging movements on the needs of older lesbians.
Legendary comedienne Kate Clinton offers her riotous viewpoint on feminism, lesbianism, and life in this one-woman, stand-up performance. Clinton takes on the burning issues of the day – politics, marriage, sex, pop culture and more.
Out-and-proud comedian Kate Clinton celebrates her 25th anniversary of performing in this blend of stand-up footage, behind-the-scenes clips, interviews, footage of Clinton reading from her book, What the L?, photos and more. With her trademark cutting political satire and clever one-liners, Clinton always puts on a dynamic and hilarious show. Lily Tomlin, Melissa Etheridge, Billie Jean King and other celebrities join in the fun.
