Babes With Blades

Babes With Blades is the world's first known all-female stage combat theatre company since the beginning of the 20th century.

History

The show, billed "Babes With Blades: An Evening of Women Wielding Weapons" was originally staged as a four-night showcase, in 1997, in Chicago, Illinois. Responding to sold-out houses and enthusiastic audience response, creator Dawn "Sam" Alden produced a full-length run of the show, and formed the company.

Since then, the company has pursued a mission

"...to expand opportunities for women in the world of stage combat. By exploring theatrical violence as a storytelling tool and as a means to entertain, educate, and enlighten, we challenge traditional expectations, push personal limitations, and celebrate the historical role of the woman warrior and her modern evolution." ^[1]

As part of that mission they have worked with other organizations around Chicago, in a variety of ways, to develop resources and promote awareness. A collaboration with the highly-regarded [http://www.chicagodramatists.org/home/index.html Chicago Dramatists] yielded a variety of new scripts written for female actor-combatants, and Babes With Blades' own international playwriting competitions ( [http://www.babeswithblades.org/competition.htm Joining Sword and Pen] ) and [http://www.babeswithblades.org/plays.htm New Plays Development Program] continue to generate new works focused on female characters in strong, complex roles. Outreach and education take many forms, including workshops, appearances at festivals and in the media, newsletters and demonstrations as well as more traditional performances.

References & External Links

^[1] [http://www.babeswithblades.org/company.htm Mission on Babes With Blades Website]

[http://www.BabesWithBlades.org Babes With Blades Website]