REVIEWS, COMMENTS, AND ARTICLES

For Kimberly Dark

Articles

[NOV 2011] the Racquette

[OCT 2011] The Advocate – online or PDF

[JUL 2008] Fresno Bee

[APR 2008] Berkeley Beacon

[OCT 2006] The Commonwealth Times

[SEP 2006] Nouveau Queer Montreal

[DEC 2005] Hawaii Island Journal

Letters

[APR 2011] Penn State University

[OCT 2009] Acadia University

[NOV 2008] Southern Illinois University

[MAY 2008] Bournemouth University

[MAR 2008] California State University - San Marcos

[NOV 2006] Sonoma State University (#1)

Kimberly-

Hi, my name is Natalie Spain and I attended your presentation at SSU. First off, I just wanted to say what an amazing speaker you are, but on top of that such an amazing woman. Thank you for speaking to us in such a powerful, yet understanding voice. I was wondering about the last piece that you recited to us... it was beautiful and I want to know if it is available for reading? Please, if you get the chance let me know.

again thank you for everything
Natalie Spain

[NOV 2006] Sonoma State University (#2)

Hi Kimberly,

I just saw your show last night at Sonoma State University and I really enjoyed your performance. I'm a Women's and Gender Studies major (as well as a Psychology major and Sociology minor!) and I am taking Feminist Theory this semester. Your performance fit in perfectly with everything we've been learning about feminist theory. It was wonderful how many aspects of feminist theory you were able to incorporate and share with the audience… thanks for coming to SSU! I really hope that your show prompted students who aren't used to thinking about gender to begin thinking more critically.

Thanks again,
Lianna

-Lianna Hart

[NOV 2006] University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (#1)

Kimberly...you were absolutely amazing today--i can’t begin to tell you how grateful i am for your willingness to come into our class.

your ethno-autiobiographical performance work presents an innovative and highly original approach to a host of potentially contentious social issues, which are rarely addressed outside the college classroom. seamlessly blending comedy and high seriousness, you immediately put your audience at ease and thereby engaged them in a profound and honest converation regarding gender and sexuality.

...will do my best to see your show friday evening--if this doesn't work out, i’ll look for you on satuday! hope your show went well this evening. --andrea

-Andrea Herrera
Literature Department, Ethnic Studies Chairperson

[NOV 2006] University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (#2)

[NOV 2006] University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (#3)

Attendee/Participant Reviews:

"Kimberly Dark has an uncanny way of making you think hard when you think you are only being entertained. Her keen insights seep into your questioning mind as you laugh, are captivated by stories, and are wowed by the intimacy she creates with her to-the-bone honesty. This piece [Complicated Courtesies] weaves together politeness in all its gendered majesty, how to live with fullness and integrity, facing our own many "faces", and healing ourselves and others with the power of dignity. Never stuffy or preachy, this material can sneak up on you in unexpected ways, putting a new spin on old and everyday occurrences. Best of all, I recommend this one-woman show for students, where theater and story-telling far outpace lectures and power points to bring education alive and send us each on our next step toward growth and transformation." -Carol Plummer, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work, University of Hawaii, Manoa

"Kimberly Dark is a powerful, creative and informative speaker who is deeply connected with her audience. Through her performance Dark is able to express herself in a way that allows her audiences to become engaged and active participants... By using real life stories Dark was able to show the audience the importance of being comfortable. It was through her performance and seeing the ways in which she herself was comfortable. She was then able to raise the level of comfort among her listeners..." - Student, Acadia University 2009

"Dark used humor and art to demonstrate every day activities people engage in which involved power and control through what society deems 'normal' or 'acceptable.' Discrimination goes beyond gender, class, and race and people are judged by appearances or even weight or height. We are so easily conditioned to allow society to dictate what is beautiful and desirable, that we begin to measure our own self worth according to these standards. It was really refreshing to hear confirmation that we are in charge of our actions and beliefs even when it doesn't fit societal expectations. When we do conform and buy into cultural values and perception of worth, we only objectify ourselves." - Student, Cal State San Marcos, 2010

"This performance really affected me. I found her to be a brilliant performance artist, very articulate and smart. She was able to reach out to the audience in the most personal way, and I feel she really connects with her audience. I was drawn into her stories as they were teaching me about important gender issues. I walked out of there thinking a lot about her message about personal sovereignty. Her strong performance led to a sense of personal and social responsibility. I still reflect on her stories weeks later. I am very glad I was able to see Kimberly perform, and hope I will have a chance to see her again." - Student, Cal State San Marcos, 2010

"I was extremely impressed with Kimberly Dark because of her physicality and sensuousness and her presence was amazing... I found her two day master class inspiring and invigorating — it was so enjoyable and freeing to write creatively and perform stories in such a way — bringing life and humour to them but also making a statement for people to hear...she's an all round excellent package — including the lipstick! We bought a copy of her cd and played it in the car on the way back — her voice is just so creamy..."

"I suppose what I heard was her take on being active and physically doing something to make a difference — this resonates deeply with me as does her belief that we can use the arts to make the world a better place.

Her poetry was/is a mix of the ethnographic and autoethnographic and very engaging, entertaining, poignant, sensuous and did not shy away from taboo and sensitive topics such as race, gender, sexuality, incest, rape and body size — and without making them stories of victimhood — I felt we were invited to witness the events and peoples' struggles and it was up to us to connect with the messages/our feelings or whatever came up for us in whatever way we wanted. The connection between the personal and the social/cultural was clearly and cleverly and creatively made in that our personal stories act as statements of our experience of social and cultural themes — all in a generative and constructive way rather than an angry destructive dig from a place of woundedness, she took the 'sting' out of the stories whilst keeping their powerful messages. Her delivery also made an enormous impact in that through her eye contact with each of us I personally felt she was talking to me...she connected with us and that made the impact for me very personal." - Elspeth Samuel, (Bournemouth University workshop participant) 2008