"Generation Women" Delights a Packed House at Caveat

 

Georgia Clark

Last Tuesday, Caveat on the Lower East Side of Manhattan was the venue for the latest performance by "Generation Women," billed as "A Storytelling Night from New York City... with Wit and Wisdom from All Ages." Author Georgia Clark emceed the evening titled "Spring Cleaning: What I Kicked to the Curb," introducing all six participants, each representing a decade. The event was livestreamed, and is still available on demand until April 25th. You can watch the show here.

Our own Nina Kennedy read an original piece she authored for the event, representing women in their sixties.

Julie Magruder*

Representing Team twenties, Webby Award-winning podcast producer Julie Magruder opened the evening with a moving piece on body-image, and her own obsession with dieting and losing weight. 

Allison Kelley

Representing women in their thirties, Allison Kelley - a Brooklyn-based humor writer and essayist with work featured in The New Yorker, The Washington Post, Slate, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, and elsewhere - presented a humorous story on the effects of growing up with alcoholic parents, and the pressures and exaggerated sense of responsibility that can result.

Tamar Vezirian*

Women in their forties were represented by Tamar Vezirian, who told a harrowing story of suffering with fibroid tumors, and not being able to find a doctor who took her suffering seriously - that is,  until she found another Armenian woman. Georgia Clark then closed the first half with a piece on the pressures and expectations she puts on herself as a writer, and her decision to kick to the curb the outside/superficial measures of success.

Max Sharam*

Representing team fifties, Max Sharam described herself as "a work-in-progress, a moving target and a person who loves to write lists and check boxes. Some already checked boxes are: hit record, world tours and dog love. She is contemplating her one-woman show while chipping away at a graphic memoir." She presented a delightfully funny piece on her childhood in Australia, including tales of a hung horse, a vacuum cleaner hose, inserting bananas in a toy monkey's mouth, the exposed schlong of a drunken neighbor, and (of course) a very large snake.

Before she began her piece representing team sixties, Nina Kennedy introduced her dear friend and Juilliard colleague Damon Evans who was in the audience. 

Damon Evans*

Best known for his portrayal of the character "Lionel" in the world-famous television sitcom The Jeffersons, Damon stood and addressed the crowd to express his appreciation for the stories he had heard, and his ability to relate. 

Nina spoke of her shock and surprise at being in her sixties, and how her health concerns became the focus at the beginning of the decade. 

Nina Kennedy*

The biggest laugh of the night came in response to Nina's quoting Germaine Greer, who spoke of how women's indoctrination to be "feminine" can hinder professional success. Her performance received the biggest ovation of the evening.

Madelaine Santner*

Team seventies was represented by Madelaine Santner, who is "a retired social worker who enjoys traveling, reading novels and walking all around the city." She presented a piece called "De-Cluttering with Love," which she described as an opportunity to look back on fond memories, and to re-evaluate the importance of what were originally perceived as earth-shattering events.

Next month's event has already been announced. Details are available here.

*Event photos by Christopher Scalzi