APAP SHOWCASING ARTIST - 2008
NACA SHOWCASING ARTIST - NATIONALS TRAINING SHOWCASE 2009, NORTHERN PLAINS TRAINING SHOWCASE 2009, WEST LECTURE SHOWCASE 2006
Performance Programs:
"Becoming the Subject of Your Own Story (Rather than the Object of Another’s Gaze)"
This spoken word performance uses humor and first-person storytelling to uncover the various ways that women (and men) cheat the world of their fabulous human potential by focusing too often on appearance, sweetness and popularity, rather than living full lives. The show does not preach or instruct. Rather audience members discover their own empowerment through Kimberly’s funny and personal tales. Dark also offers five suggestions that can help anyone develop greater personal sovereignty and start becoming a more vibrant participant in life.
"Stripped and Teased: Scandalous Stories with Subversive Subplots"
In this award-winning solo performance, Kimberly continues to challenge the audience's concepts of sex and gender roles via smart and vibrant storytelling, passionate poetry and intimate audience interaction. More like "stand-up storytelling" than a traditional theatre show, the audience will laugh, think and be amazed than an evening of theatre can be so intimate, thought provoking and entertaining all at the same time.
"Dark's Stripped and Teased is a wild romp through the issues of gender (in)equity and of (un)fettered sexuality, body image and the social construction of gender, and the economics of being female. Using women who work as strippers as a unifying theme throughout the show, Dark brilliantly illuminates how stereotypical views of femininity are not just ridiculous, but ultimately harmful to us all." -Hawaii Island Journal
Spoken Word and Poetry Slams
Kimberly can tailor a spoken word performance to your needs – either as entertainment, or to address topics such as diversity, women’s issues, social justice or glbt issues. In addition to performing her own work, she can also emcee a poetry slam or evening of performance poetry for your community or campus. The event can include a preparatory workshop if you choose, or have a specific focus (women's lives, queer issues, disability, etc.). This type of event allows for locals to be exposed to and learn the skills of performance/slam poetry so that they can create future events. And, with issue-specific slams, locals have the opportunity to be the performers of their own lives, while providing an entertaining and thought-provoking event for a broader audience.
Kimberly Dark
Performance Artist, Poet, Speaker, Sociologist
Gender Studies, GLBT, and Women's Issues
Kimberly Dark continues to work tirelessly on her abilities as a parent, poet, professor and raconteur who can unfold the world through performance, smooth out the crinkles from folding, read the legend and say "You Are Here." Someday she will even be able to refold the world and fit it back into the glove-box. Kimberly travels far and wide performing stories that make people laugh, think and feel. She wins theatre awards,
smiles when seeing her stories in print, enjoys standing ovations and endures days when settling down to a more regular life seems more sensible. Such is the glamorous life of a pop-sociologist who wants to expand conversations about gender, race and class beyond the university so that we all take up the charge of creating a more just world. Kimberly has performed in dozens of fancy theatres and esteemed classrooms, but she also loves a stage where there’s nothing swanky – just the body, the voice, the word and the audience. Just be sure to bring up the house-lights because this isn’t a traditional theatre show – she really is talking to YOU.
Kimberly's writing and performances have delighted and incited audiences at theaters and universities across North America and Europe for more than a decade. She teaches sociology at Cal State San Marcos as much as her schedule allows. Her work blends humor, poetry, story-telling, and audience interaction to remind all of us that we are creating the world – even as it creates us!
Would you like to receive an additional $500 off of the price of your program?
"Becoming the Subject of Your Own Story (Rather than the Object of Another’s Gaze)"