be neatly explained. neatly be

words she left behind, which tell of an unconventional life that cannot cannot that life unconventional an of tell which behind, left she words

Robin Tyler. Tyler. Robin Joan’s complex and controversial story is told through the wealth of of wealth the through told is story controversial and complex Joan’s

Christian, Casse Culver, and and Culver, Casse Christian,

smoking areas. areas. smoking

connections and common truths. truths. common and connections performers such as Meg Meg as such performers

meeting in the common common the in meeting

their dreams. their For Joan, these various beliefs did not hold contradictions; she found found she contradictions; hold not did beliefs various these Joan, For

included nationally known known nationally included

appreciated. appreciated.

Public Library. Public

of delegations, often often delegations, of

again,’ and was baptized during a service at Square Park. Park. Square Manhattan at service a during baptized was and again,’ to mentor others to follow follow to others mentor to

also produced concerts, which which concerts, produced also

drama to be performed and and performed be to drama

Alliance to the Rochester Rochester the to Alliance

from across the spectrum spectrum the across from attain direct experience with God. Later in her life, Joan became ‘born- became Joan life, her in Later God. with experience direct attain

and visits while she continued continued she while visits and

Chambers, were staged. They They staged. were Chambers,

opportunity for controversial controversial for opportunity

donated through the Out Out the through donated

Yogananda’s teaching in the use of yoga and meditation to to meditation and yoga of use the in teaching Yogananda’s She studied She

discussions with women women with discussions

through phone calls, letters, letters, calls, phone through

, a play by Jane Jane by play a , A Late Snow Late A

works and provide an an provide and works

Joan’s archives are being being are archives Joan’s

Intensely spiritual, Joan remained Catholic throughout much of her life. life. her of much throughout Catholic remained Joan spiritual, Intensely there she held intense intense held she there

She remained engaged in life life in engaged remained She

expression. Two shows of of shows Two expression.

plan to produce progressive progressive produce to plan

in Houston, Texas. While While Texas. Houston, in

eventually became bedridden. bedridden. became eventually

women’s cultural and political political and cultural women’s

women. women. which guided the venture - a a - venture the guided which

Holy Sephulchre Cemetery. Sephulchre Holy

Women’s Conference Conference Women’s

she left in a wheelchair and and wheelchair a in left she

support, and encourage encourage and support,

aided draft dodgers, worked for gay rights, and fought violence against against violence fought and rights, gay for worked dodgers, draft aided

vision as Company Director Director Company as vision

Her ashes are interred at at interred are ashes Her

Joan attended the National National the attended Joan

After a year in the hospital hospital the in year a After

their mission was to build, build, to was mission their

she participated in union organizing. She marched for civil rights, rights, civil for marched She organizing. union in participated she

Susan David. It was Joan’s Joan’s was It David. Susan

September 29th, 2005. 2005. 29th, September

with a ruptured appendix. appendix. ruptured a with

Productions with Sue Cowell; Cowell; Sue with Productions voice, the forgotten and the abused. As a waitress in , City, York New in waitress a As abused. the and forgotten the voice,

BlackRose Productions with with Productions BlackRose

Joan Giuffre died on on died Giuffre Joan

Joan was taken to St. Mary’s Mary’s St. to taken was Joan

Joan co-founded Rising Rising co-founded Joan Joan’s interest was in revolution that would uplift those who had no no had who those uplift would that revolution in was interest Joan’s

Joan went on to co-found co-found to on went Joan

our various interests.” interests.” various our

vegetarianism, from amassing possessions to offering our lives to to lives our offering to possessions amassing from vegetarianism,

the life around us we went from LSD25 to yoga, from alcohol to to alcohol from yoga, to LSD25 from went we us around life the

“In our intense searching for some meaning in in meaning some for searching intense our “In spiritual seekers. seekers. spiritual

feminists, lesbians, activists, sex workers, Buddhist nuns, junkies, and and junkies, nuns, Buddhist workers, sex activists, lesbians, feminists,

revelations, and philosophy. Her friends were the avant-garde: artists, artists, avant-garde: the were friends Her philosophy. and revelations,

Poetry was her vehicle for recording life observations, experiences, experiences, observations, life recording for vehicle her was Poetry

York City in her early twenties. twenties. early her in City York Joan began writing while living in New in living while writing began Joan

traditional healers and anarchist philosophy. anarchist and healers traditional

1992 1987 1979 1977 2005

years, a tan in a black and white world.” white and black a in tan a years, At home she also learned of of learned also she home At

“I’m a Sicilian on both sides for 3,000 3,000 for sides both on Sicilian a “I’m American and Catholic; Catholic; and American

Born in Rochester, NY in 1939, Joan was brought up to identify as as identify to up brought was Joan 1939, in NY Rochester, in Born

father.”

returned to Rochester. Rochester. to returned

they would tell [her] [her] tell would they

dedication to justice and freedom for herself and others. others. and herself for freedom and justice to dedication

earthquake in 1971, they all all they 1971, in earthquake

a priest or a psychiatrist... psychiatrist... a or priest a philosopher, writer; she lived her life with courage and and courage with life her lived she writer; philosopher,

taxes toward the Vietnam War. War. Vietnam the toward taxes

joined her. Following an an Following her. joined

Joan Giuffre identified as a Sicilian, anarchist, lesbian, lesbian, anarchist, Sicilian, a as identified Giuffre Joan and once there see either either see there once and

live a life of poverty rather than pay pay than rather poverty of life a live

with his cumbatti. his with sister, niece, and nephew nephew and niece, sister, New York. New

straight home at once, once, at home straight

Conscience, Joan made a decision to to decision a made Joan Conscience,

operated a grocery business business grocery a operated

California, her mother, mother, her California, until she was established in in established was she until

- from “Tidbits & Exercises” & “Tidbits from -

“If [she] did not go go not did [she] “If

Upon signing the Declaration of of Declaration the signing Upon

did piece work. Her father father Her work. piece did I am a rabble-rouser Rouser” Rouser” rabble-rouser a am I While Joan was in in was Joan While often as she could afford, afford, could she as often

lesbianism, Joan was told, was Joan lesbianism,

workers union, her mother mother her union, workers call me playwright or poet or agitator or inspiration or agitator or poet or playwright me call

going back and forth, as as forth, and back going

the summer due to her her to due summer the

1971 am a rabble-rouser Rouser rabble-rouser a am “I

As a member of a garment garment a of member a As spent the next few years years few next the spent

fired before the end of of end the before fired

the eldest of three children. children. three of eldest the friend from Corning. She She Corning. from friend

Corning, NY. After being being After NY. Corning,

Rochester, NY, Joan was was Joan NY, Rochester, York City to meet with her her with meet to City York

Theater Summer Stock in in Stock Summer Theater

Michelangelo Giuffre in in Giuffre Michelangelo

took the train to New New to train the took

apprenticed with the Arena Arena the with apprenticed

April of 1967. 1967. of April

to Angela D’Agata and and D’Agata Angela to

On her 18th birthday, Joan Joan birthday, 18th her On

School in 1956, and then then and 1956, in School

arrived in San Francisco in in Francisco San in arrived

Born Joan Elizabeth Giuffre Giuffre Elizabeth Joan Born

January 14, 1957: 1957: 14, January

Benjamin Franklin High High Franklin Benjamin their way to California; she she California; to way their

Joan graduated from from graduated Joan New York who had made made had who York New

Joan followed friends from from friends followed Joan 1964

and Freedom. and

Washington for Jobs Jobs for Washington

the 1963 March on on March 1963 the 1939 - 2005 - 1939

Joan took part in in part took Joan

Joan Giuffre Joan

1956 1939 1963 1967 1957

JUSTICE & FREEDOM & JUSTICE i knew that i was different JOAN’S WRITING everybody said so for one Through her writing, Joan recorded her opinions, experiences, and visons with honesty and rawness. thing sometimes they were She wrote poetry, articles, editorials, and letters. Joan wrote prolifically about every aspect of life, among being nice sometimes mean them - love, drugs, sex, marriage, divorce, religion, oppression, abuse, poverty, liberation, and religion. always wondering i wondered Joan had poems appear in issues of Letters, an international magazine of art, poetry, and letters published by The Country Press from Saratoga Springs, NY. Feature articles and poems that Joan wrote also appeared in the too at their wondering i could Empty Closet newspaper, from Rochester, NY. already see that everyone An overview of Joan’s work includes ten collections of poetry, an autobiographical narrative, letters, was different i already knew editorials, and numerous other poems, rants, and musings. Collection titles include The Book of Coincidence; that no two snowflakes were These Truths I Hold to Be Self-Evident; Conflicting Public Opinion; and Passion, Poetry, and Politics.* alike no two grains of sand * Collections of Joan’s poetry can be accessed at the Out Alliance Library and there was nothing wrong or right with that - it was just The Book of Coincidence, shown here, provides Joan’s first collection of poems was compiled A Bitter Little Book, Joan’s second collection, True that’s how God made a record of Joan’s experience in New York into the book The Revolution of Ecstasy - First was first published in an edited form by City in 1962. Auditions 1960 - 1964. It was published by The Country Press of Saratoga Springs, NY in them, that’s what everybody It contains sketches, journal entries, random BlackRose Productions in 1987. 1976. said . . . notes, poems, and lists from which Joan compiled a collection. a person had to be like a Thief in his own world - Books to be hidden (You are too young for that book) Friends to be hidden (You are too white for that friend, you are too black for that friend) Lovers to be hidden (You are both Girls) Either you’re the Same or you’re A Bitter Little Book The Revolution of Ecstasy different That’s Life Dig The Book of Coincidence “The poems are about people and the poems In 1989, Joan wrote in an introduction: yourself Cop This Ain’t Your become sketches for characters in the first play World and i ain’t your I write as an adult (in the same years) called “It is still New York City; it is still 1964... Rachel’s decided not to shave anymore “The Revolution of Ecstasy,” ergo the title! I spent most of my time with lesbians, mostly creation you’re as surprised except under her arms The working title of the book had been ‘I Hold lesbian artists trying to raise an army to as i am to find Ourselves unless she goes to work These Truths to Be Self-Evident,’ but with each address our issues - convinced that we should but she probably won’t go to work passing day I realized that truth would not free our sisters from loony bins and shock Here - . . .” because she hates hates hates work be reached so easily - but still suffering from treatment tables and behaviour modification the grandiosity of youth I felt no compunction control by drugs - free our sisters from i love Rachel about the title ‘The Revolution of Ecstasy’ ...” battering relationships as wives, daughters, - abridged poem from sisters, lovers and that free lesbians would / Rachel hates logic Passion, Poetry and Politics no line as free Among the 43 poems in this collection are: could singlehandedly make the whole world a as Rachel “The Hero,” “The Sinner,” “The Green-Eyed better place by doing what they do; by being i won’t even try words Monster,” “The Visionary,” “The Outlaw,” “The women with responsibililty for the larger Agonizer,” “The Philosopher,” and “The Mama.” community.” “I ONLY WROTE THE TRUTH.” ABOUT THE AUTHOR: ROCHESTER CAST THE BOYS MART CROWLEY Mart Crowley began writing The Boys in The Band in 1961, and was supported by Natalie IN THE BAND Wood, Joanne Woodward, and , which gave him the opportunity to bring the play to production. According to Crowley, his motivation in writing the play was not activism, but anger anger toward the homophobic society and laws that impacted his life and career. In the 1995 documentary The Celluloid Closet, Crowley explained, “The [play’s] self- Larry, Michael, and Emory deprecating humor was born out of a low Photo by The Boys in the Band self-esteem from a sense of what the times producer told you about yourself.” HISTORY OF THE PLAY ABOUT THE PLAY The Boys in the Band first opened in April 1968 and quickly became a huge success, drawing crowds and celebrities to over 1,000 performances. It Michael and his group of gay friends are celebrating Harold’s was the first major play to offer a view of the still-hidden gay community. birthday at a New York City apartment and analyzing their The film version was released in 1970, and showcased the talents of the personal and romantic lives when Allen, a straight married original Broadway actors, most of whom were gay and still closeted. man, unexpectedly drops by the party. As the night progresses, “When you are part of an entire group of people who have all been alcohol and self-hatred prevail, as Michael, the host, initiates a told, ‘You’re not worthy, you’re not significant, you are no good’… it’s cruel game intended to challenge his guests to acknowledge the going to trigger some shit. And so, how do you deal with that? That’s truth of who they are. what this play is about.”

- Robin de Jesús (The Advocate, 2018) Donald and Michael Foreground: Harold - Background: Michael SIGNIFICANCE IN CONTROVERSIAL PRODUCTIONS IN THE GAY COMMUNITY ELEMENTS ROCHESTER, NY The Boys in the Band was first shown in Rochester as part of a dinner The Boys in the Band premiered in 1968, when was still “By the time the movie opened, people didn’t want theater event at Jim’s Bar in 1976, taking eight years to reach considered a mental disorder. Members of the LGBTQ+ communities to go back a year and a half. They wanted to look Rochester. Following this premier put on by the Back Room Players, were still heavily in the closet - living in isolation and fear of losing forward to the future.” BlackRose Productions presented performances of the play in 1987, everything. The play, a reflection of the way many individuals coped - Tony Kushner, Playwright ushering in a renaissance of gay culture in Rochester. with living in such a repressive and prejudiced society, offered “an at- times grotesque picture of bitchy, self-loathing queens armed with a The groundbreaking play clashed never-ending supply of martinis and acerbic one-liners they deploy in a with the new-found feelings of transparent attempt to disguise their very real pain.” liberation and hope felt by many - Les Fabian Brathwaite (Out, 2018) in the gay community after the Stonewall riots of 1969, and came The play opened the door for additional media depictions of the lived to represent a dispirited and still- experiences of those in the LGBTQ+ communities. The Boys in the Band closeted way of life. This divide continues to provide enduring parallels that are relevant to any time and was particularly accentuated in to any oppressed group. the reception of the 1970 film version of The Boys in the Band, which debuted nine months after the riots, and therefore seemed already dated upon its release. Emory and Bernard from “Whatever you say about it, you have to the BlackRose Production Program page from the BlackRose Production acknowledge the bravery of it!” The offensive racist, sexist, and homophobic language used by many of the “Theater can be very safe, homogenized. We’re willing to cross play’s characters reflects a level of intolerance that was common during barriers -- show and prove theater is for everyone, not an elitist - Patrick Pacheco (After Dark Magazine)

the 1960s, and still exists in areas of modern society. thing.”

- Janet Baberio, BlackRose Productions General Manager BLACKROSE SEASON 1 SEASON 2 BlackRose Productions launched its first season in the fall of 1987, For its second season BlackRose rented a space at Village Gate, presenting The Boys in the Band by Mart Crowley, A Late Snow, where Mass Appeal by Bill C. Davis was performed. PRODUCTIONS and Last Summer at Bluefish Cove, both by Jane Chambers. All were staged at the YWCA Auditorium Theater on North Clinton Avenue BlackRose Productions was Rochester’s between October 1987 and January 1988. first lesbian-owned and operated theater production company and the fulfillment of a long time dream for Joan Giuffre, the Company Director. It was founded in 1987 with producer, Susan David, and Janet Barberio was soon brought on as Company Manager. “Mass Appeal [is] a close-up view of the one hundred The mission of BlackRose was to provide and one issues that affect the individual’s relationship to innovative, creative, and diverse theater as a organized religion . . .” means of educating, uplifting, and liberating. -Joan Giuffre An objective was to look out at the audience and see the diversity of the Rochester community in its entirety. A Late Snow Cast

“All three plays present Gay Life 101; the theme of these plays is to present a stanger, an intruder who has the right to know because they have stumbled on the scene; they are entitled to stay; they have been or are getting involved - - “everything you ever wanted to know about gay life.” The format of the plays is a comfortable ‘sit-com’; plenty of laughs, and just enough tragedy to qualify the pieces as “theatre” and every issue of the day that would affect someone who has to make a decision about, in any way, entering the life or even remaining on planet Earth.” - Joan Giuffre The Empty Closet, R ochester, NY - February 1988

During the mid-1980s, fewer than ten-percent of plays were produced or written by women. A double standard held that plays with men represented a universal experience, but that this was not the case for women’s plays. BlackRose provided a way for lesbians to assert some control over the cultural experiences of the lesbian and gay community in Rochester. Last Summer At Blue Fish Cove Cast and Crew