Press Quotes: What they’re saying about the That Takes Ovaries book, play & events
[S]alutes ‘ballsy’ acts by bold women – the anatomically correct way.
Glamour magazine
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In praise of strong women… gynocentric tales of courage.
Washington Post
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Whenever Solomon hears of a woman pulling off a particularly daring act, she’ll say, “That takes ovaries.”… Plenty of defiance was in evidence at a recent event celebrating “Ovaries.”
Chicago Tribune
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Interested in the transformative power of activist art? Look no further: That Takes Ovaries, by Rivka Solomon and Bobbi Ausubel, is powerful theater… [P]erformed over 700 times around the globe, usually as a fundraiser for women’s causes… [B]y literally handing the stage over to the audience, That Takes Ovaries rewards individual audience members for their own ovarian acts, encourages future ones and ultimately changes culture for the better.
Ms. Magazine
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Though in the same tradition of ”The Vagina Monologues” – a collection of funny, poignant, and sometimes shocking stories about women… “That Takes Ovaries” is dedicated to capturing moments of personal triumph, whatever forms those take… The message has caught on. Women across the country, and as far away as India… have held open mike nights to share their stories.
Boston Globe (Boston Globe bestseller)
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Irresistible idea of highlighting take-charge, no-nonsense women… [N]umerous readings have been followed by unrehearsed testimonials from audience members. These free-for-alls have, unsurprisingly, played well with youthful, feminist crowds but they’ve also gone over in very different contexts, like a Gilroy event that drew nearly 100 Latino immigrants.
San Francisco Chronicle
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Girl power profiles… The stories range from harrowing to sassy, from a 5-year-old girl who fought to play dodgeball with the boys to a woman who talked a burglar out of robbing her house. The idea was to include as many different examples of girl power as possible. I’m pretty sure I’d never have the balls – excuse me, ovaries – to do what many of these women did. But I sure had a high-flying time imagining them.
Detroit Free Press
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[I]nspired a worldwide movement in which an adaptation is performed either as a play or an open-mike event in which audience members of all ages and both genders are invited onstage to share stories of courageous girls and women. [T]he aim of TTO performance pieces is to showcase real women who have thrown off the yoke of “internalized social messages.”
The New Nation: Bangladesh
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The [TTO] movement revisits the traditions of oratory and story telling in groups… adaptable to how the event is presented in different cultures and countries… Australia, Amnesty International has become involved in hosting Open Mikes as part of their Stop Violence Against Women Campaign.
The Australian Women’s Book Review
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Stories of courage, tales of inspiration, anecdotes about spontaneity, audacity or just plain fun– everything from the seemingly frivolous to the obviously political, concerning women’s freedom and empowerment issues took centre stage at the That Takes Ovaries [event].
The Telegraph of India
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Wrap these up with a Bikini Kill CD and a copy of Thelma & Louise, then give to your niece for her very own intro to third-wave feminism.
Jane Magazine
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Embracing everything from moving accounts of overcoming the disturbing realities in our world, to lighthearted and comical ways in which girls and women have reclaimed a sense of command in their lives… Solomon has compiled a noteworthy testament to the force of womanhood everywhere…Rivka Solomon’s That Takes Ovaries superbly captures and propels the art of living with moxie and authenticity. Whatever the cause, whatever the intention, whatever the passion behind these actions, all of these women have chosen to live full lives and actively contest the notion that women are meant to simply exist. With confidence, wit, and unwavering integrity, these fiery females assert themselves and earn a place in history and in our hearts.
MoxieMag.com
