If you watched the dearly departed โParks & Recreation,โ you already know what Galentineโs Day is (and if you didnโt watch, youโd better remedy that right away). Lead character Leslie Knope created said holiday to sing the praises of the ladies in her life, and the fictional celebration has really taken off among groups of girlfriends across the country.
And while there are lots of ways to celebrate Galentineโs Day, thereโs one that really plays tribute to Leslie Knope and her portrayer, Amy Poehler. Gather up your best gal pals and head to Poehlerโs training grounds, The Second City, where youโll settle in with a cocktail for โShe The People,โ an edgy, feminist take on what it means to be a woman in todayโs world.
The comedy show, which is performed by Carisa Barreca, Alex Bellisle, Katie Caussin, Maria Randazzo, Alexis J. Roston and Kimberly Michelle Vaughn, touches on all aspects of the female experience, from mommy shaming to diets, first dates to periods. Randazzo even does a hilarious bit about girls who describe themselves as โquirky.โ Thereโs no singular theme, other than what is encompassed in the showโs subtitle: โGirlfriendsโ guide to sisters doing it for themselves.โ
The Second City has given โShe The Peopleโ a suggested R rating, so prepare yourself for lots of swear words and some sexual references. (And if your politics lean conservative, you may be offended at times.) This show doesnโt hold back, directly addressing the problematic things that women deal with on a regular basis, and also the Kardashians.
But you should also get ready for some epic female empowerment, not to mention uncontrollable laughter. I felt a swell of womanly pride at multiple points in the show, plus some real feelings of recognition at the situations being faced. The show, which is written by 10 women (including some of the cast), truly shows the spectrum of the female experience, taking into account things like race, sexual orientation, weight and age. Itโs intelligently written, avoiding the overused clichรฉs that have populated modern feminism. And the diversity of the cast is just plain lovely to see; in fact, it was impossible to choose a favorite performer among the six very funny stars.
After the show (or during intermission), be sure to visit the photo booth in the lobby, where you and your girl gang can pose with posters that say things like โThis is what a feminist looks likeโ or famous female faces like Ruth Bader Ginsburg or Amy Poehlerโs bestie, Tina Fey.
โShe The Peopleโ is at The Second Cityโs UP Comedy Club through April 1, so if you donโt get there for Galentineโs Day on Feb. 13, youโll still have time to treat yoโself (another Parks & Rec reference) and your best girls to a night on the town. Because I canโt think of a better way to celebrate the women who make us better than a night of laughter โ and some girl power.