Five Lesbian Brothers
explain creative process

Mike Senyo
Staff Writer

On March 30, the University of La Verne was privileged to have the group, the Five Lesbian Brothers, perform and lecture in the Cabaret Theatre during the Engendering Diversity and Community Conference.

Four of the brothers were on hand to discuss their creative process in writing and performing plays.

Originally, the Brothers were to speak exclusively to Associate Professor of Theatre Arts Jane Dibbell's women playwrights and feminist theory class, but the show became open to the public as part of the first Engendering Diversity and Community Conference.

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Posted April 11, 2005

The Five Lesbian Brothers made an appearance at the Cabaret Theatre March 30 to give a “Simultaneously Hilarious and Subversive” performance as part of the Engendering Diversity and Community Conference. Following a question and answer period, the Brothers (Moe Angeles, Peg Healey, Dominique Dibbell and Lisa Kron) performed a reading from their newest play “Oedipus in Palm Springs” which will open in New York Aug. 2. The fifth Brother, Babs Davy, was on the East Coast and was unable to attend. The conference was organized by Zandra Wagoner, general education program director.

The Five Lesbian Brothers met at the Women of the World Café in New York City and have been writing and performing together for 15 years.

Their plays are about the irony and humor in life in dealing with homosexuality and other pervasiveness that society has deemed as unmoral or a question in character.

While writing their plays, the Five Lesbian Brothers have no set political agenda they want to convey.

The lecture part of the evening consisted of the Brothers discussing how they come up with their ideas for their plays and how the chemistry between them helps bring out their best work possible.

The second half of the evening was the Brothers performing scenes from their upcoming play “Oedipus in Palm Springs,” which deals with two lesbian couples sharing a weekend together in Palm Springs.

“The main thing about the Brothers is that they write about human perspective,” Dibbell said.

“They show that people are not victims and can make their own choices with their life,” she added.

The performance wanted to showcase to students that this style of work is being done and also to help future playwriters by giving them an understanding of what its like to work with a collection of performers.

“This encourages the students to write about their own experiences,” Dibbell added.

General Education Program Director Zandra Wagoner hoped that the Brothers’ performance would broaden people’s perspective on gender and sex issues and saw it as a perfect connection with the Engendering Diversity and Community Conference.

Sophomore Amanda Jones was among those in attendance.

“I originally went because of my core class but it turned out to be a fun and enjoyable experience,” Jones said. “I wasn’t expecting it to be so funny, it taught me to be a little more aware and open about sex and gender.”

The Engendering Diversity and Community Conference is designed to bring about the discussion of issues relating to women, gender and sexuality in all public fields.

Other plays done by the Brothers are “Voyage to Lesbos,” “Brave Smiles,” “The Secretaries” and “Brides of the Moon.”

“Oedipus in Palm Springs” will be in New York during July and August and will be making a tour into Southern California later in the summer.

Mike Senyo can be reached at msenyo@ulv.edu.