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Crosscurrents

Black Benatar creates an artist testing ground with her cabaret

Courtesy of Brava Center For The Arts

 

Artist Beatrice Thomas performs in drag as soulful death-metal diva Black Benatar at Drag Queen Story Time at the San Francisco Public Library — and all over the Bay.

 

She’ll be hosting Black Benatar’s Black Magic Cabaret as part of So Soul San Francisco at Brava Theater this week.

 

She and acro-dancer Toni Cannon came to KALW’s studios to talk with Jen Chien about what they have in store for audiences.

 

"This space is about privileging the artist's process, and allowing the audience into that process. So we can be together, we can be together in the risk, we can be together in the nervousness of what's going to happen.

"I want to share that with people, I don't want to feel further away from people. I think coming from a marginalized place, you already feel kind of apart from people — so I'm interested in bringing our audience closer."
Note: Beatrice Thomas is an alumnus of KALW's Audio Academy.   

Click the audio player above to listen to the full story.

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Crosscurrents San Francisco
Jen Chien was the managing editor for Crosscurrents and KALW News from 2016 to 2018. She has been a contributor to All Things Considered, Radio Netherlands Worldwide, BBC/PRI’s The World, Making Contact, SF Public Press, East Bay Express, New America Media, and KPFA in Berkeley, where she took part in the First Voice Apprenticeship Program. She is the recipient of the 2013 Outstanding Emerging Journalist Award from the Society of Professional Journalists of Northern California. She holds a BA in American Studies from Smith College, and an MA in Interdisciplinary Performance from New College of California. Before entering the field of journalism, she had a successful career as a professional dance and theater artist, teacher, and massage therapist.