WESTERN FRONT – Bearded Lady's Manifesto

Description:

Bearded Lady’s Manifesto was a performance by American playwright Philip-Dimitri Galas. Dressed in fatigues, Galas performed on a set composed of two nude mannequins—one of which was used as a makeshift bar. The performance also featured an appearance by Delbert Lee.

Lit by a spotlight, a performer stands just in front of a mannequin, looking out at the audience with their mouth open. They wear a white tank top matching the colour of the figure beside them.

One spotlight gleams on the torso of a mannequin, positioned on a white plinth, while another lights up the bottom half of a mannequin functioning as a table, holding a bottle and glass. A performer in camouflage pants stands where the lights meet, with one hand on their hip and the other on the bristle end of a brush.

Two spotlights light up an otherwise darkened space illuminating three figures. Two of the subjects are inanimate bodies while the other is a performer facing their body left while spinning their head to face the audience.

A performer is on their knees catching the light between two spotlights, closing their eyes and holding a hairbrush. They bend before the backside of a mannequin without a head, arms, or legs below the knee.

A performer in camo pants sings into a hairbrush while tucking the torso of a mannequin under their arm and behind their body. They perform in high contrast lighting, where everything lit is bright and everything outside the beams is deep black.

A performer in camo pants sings into a hairbrush while holding the mannequin by the hip in front of their body. They stand between a plinth and the bottom half of another mannequin.

A performer stands in front of a sculptural portal made with a wavy frame and shimmering streamers which reach the floor. The performer crosses their arms, wears a flowy dress with a deep cut neck and black boots with a heel.

A performer basks in a spotlight wearing a thick beard, a dress of many colours and pointy black boots. They cross their arms, delicately resting their fingers at each shoulder.

Captions:

Philip-Dimitri Galas in Bearded Lady’s Manifesto, photo documentation, Apr 29, 1979.
Philip-Dimitri Galas in Bearded Lady’s Manifesto, photo documentation, Apr 29, 1979.
Philip-Dimitri Galas in Bearded Lady’s Manifesto, photo documentation, Apr 29, 1979.
Philip-Dimitri Galas in Bearded Lady’s Manifesto, photo documentation, Apr 29, 1979.
Philip-Dimitri Galas in Bearded Lady’s Manifesto, photo documentation, Apr 29, 1979.
Philip-Dimitri Galas in Bearded Lady’s Manifesto, photo documentation, Apr 29, 1979.
Delbert Lee in Bearded Lady’s Manifesto, photo documentation, Apr 29, 1979.
Delbert Lee in Bearded Lady’s Manifesto, photo documentation, Apr 29, 1979.

Western Front is a non-profit artist-run centre in Vancouver.

We acknowledge the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations as traditional owners of the land upon which Western Front stands.