Women and allies in the comedy and theater community, join a consortium of NC comedy theaters, teachers, producers and performers in a safe space for this special gathering. 

We are honored to feature, “The Canary in the Coal Mine: What Rape Jokes Signal About Our Culture” Created and Presented by Dr. Gail Stern, (Catharsis Productions, Chicago), as well as a panel mixed with comedians, theater leaders and Sexual Harassment/Assault experts including Jill Bernard (HUGE Theater, Minneapolis), Gubby Kubik (FairPlay, Minneapolis), and Ashley Popio (NC Women's Theatre Festival). 

If we want to create safer, more equitable spaces for all, we have to start the conversation and move forward together. Join us. 

This event is FREE and open to the public. 

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PARTICIPANT BIOS:

- Dr. Gail Stern is the co-founder of Catharsis Productions and co-author of the non-stranger rape prevention program Sex Signals, which is presented over a thousand times each year to civilian college and military audiences around the world. She has developed Bystander Intervention curricula for the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Naval Academy, and has been a subject matter expert for the White House and each branch of the Armed Forces on issues related to sexual violence prevention. She has also served as a member of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center Hate/Bias Crime Training Cadre (U.S. Department of the Treasury); the State and Local Anti-Terrorism Training Program; and, the U.S. Department of Justice Hate Crime Training Cadres. She also has a background in both improvisational and stand-up comedy, which she uses liberally when teaching tough subjects. And just for the hell of it.

- Jill Bernard has been performing with ComedySportz-Twin Cities since 1993, and is also a founding member of HUGE Theater. Her one-woman improv piece, Drum Machine, has been featured at the Chicago Improv Festival, the Toronto Improv Jamboree, the Miami Improv Festival, Philadelphia Improv Festival, and the ComedySportz National Tournament, among others. She has taught and performed improv in Norway, Canada, and over thirty of these United States, in cities that include Juneau, AK; Spokane and Seattle, WA; Washington DC; Bowling Green, KY; Phoenix, AZ; and also on an episode of MTV “Made.” She is one-half of the duo SCRAM with Joe Bill of the Annoyance Theater. An Artistic Associate of the Chicago Improv Festival, she has studied at the Annoyance Theater, Improv Olympic, the Brave New Workshop and other organizations; and is the recipient of the 2005 Chicago Improv Festival Avery Schreiber Ambassador of Improv Award, and the 2007 Miami Improv Festival award for Best Solo Show. 

- Gubby Kubik has been an improviser for the past ten years beginning with SIKOS, a short-form improv troupe at Smith College, to now regularly performing and teaching long-form improv at Huge Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This spring, she taught a mixed-level improv class at Huge Theater specifically for women-trans-femme-nonbinary folks. For the past year, she has served on the leadership team of FairPlay MN, a collective of women-trans-femme improvisers in the Twin Cities who have come together to claim equitable space for all improvisers in the community regardless of gender identity. More information about FairPlay MN, including the Boundary Conversation Guidelines document, can be found HERE. In addition to improv, Gubby is a full-time teacher of deaf/hard of hearing learners, and she is working on her master's degree in special education at the University of Minnesota. 

- Monét Marshall is a Durham, North Carolina-based artist, director, producer and creative consultant.  She serves as the Founding Artistic Director of MOJOAA Performing Arts Company, producing new works by and new opportunities for Black playwrights. Marshall is also the Lead Con(sulting) Artist at BaD Arts Consulting which creates business solutions for creatives and creative solutions for businesses. Monét Noelle Marshall uses the arts to engage communities in collective visioning, change making and joy as social action. Marshall holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Professional Theatre from North Carolina A & T University.  For more information go to: monetnoellemarshall.com.

- Ashley Popio founded the North Carolina Women's Theatre Festival in 2016 to create, produce, and promote extraordinary theatre by women. In addition to acting as Artistic Director of the festival and overseeing operations, she works full-time as a Writing Instructor at Shaw University, and is a board member of Arts Access, and an Innovation and Grants Support Panelist for The City of Raleigh Arts Grant Program. She got her Bachelor of Arts degree from Iowa State University with a double major in Theatre and English, and holds a Masters degree in Elementary Education and Teaching from North Carolina State University.