by Jan Derbyshire
An array of freaks, including the Bearded Circus Lady, the Tattooed Nun,
Living Skeleton and Motherload meet one night on a bridge. Each woman-freak
is lonely for something, perhaps faith or love or fulfillment. Together
they decide to jump off the bridge and go back to the beginning. The women
land on a boat that's been chartered for the 14th annual R.E.A.L. Women's
Convention. And there's the battle of the sex - not of the sexes, but
of the sex - for knowledge, for a piece of the pie, and for the righteousness
of woman-freaks everywhere. Jan Derbyshire's play Bearded Circus Ladies,
which follows the freaks' journey, received its first performance in January
1996 at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre. "Derbyshire has got to
be one of the most original talents on the continent- hell, make that
the Universe," raves the Georgia Strait. Jan wrote Bearded Circus
Ladies while in Residence at Playwrights' Workshop in 1995.
"Her work is really deep, and she's got profound
things to say, but she's really, really funny."
-Kate Weiss, co-founder of Women in View Festival.
To take a peek at the journal Jan used to help her create Bearded Circus
Ladies simply click on its cover.
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