Every Night is Ladies Night (Again!): A Sneak Peek and More!
Wed Oct 30, 2024 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM EDT
Ross Community Studio WOSU 1800 N. Pearl St. Columbus, Ohio, 43201
Description
Every Night is Ladies Night (AGAIN): A Sneak Peek and More!
In 1980 there were over two hundred lesbian bars in the United States. In 2023, only 25 remain. Summit Station (also known as Jack's), located at 2210 Summit Street in Columbus was Ohio’s longest running lesbian bar, serving as the soul of the lesbian community in Central Ohio and beyond from 1970-2008.Summit Station functioned as a home away from home for thousands of women over the years, serving as a space for first dates, fundraisers, drag king and dyke queen performances, musical and comedy events, dart and billiards leagues, softball and football teams and so much more. Many of the patrons who frequented the bar reside in Columbus and surrounding communities. The stories of their experiences at the bar run the gamut from inspiring, hilarious, historical and political to deeply personal.
After two years of working to capture the stories of over 50 former patrons of the bar for an upcoming documentary film, the team at Free Beer Tomorrow are excited to invite the community to gather at WOSU Public Media’s Ross Community Studio for a sneak peek of the film in process. On Wednesday, October 30th and in commemoration of LGBTQ+ History Month, FBT will screen clips of the film, followed by a conversation and Q &A with several patrons featured on screen. The event will also serve as a fundraiser to contribute to costs associated with professional editing, color correction and sound design. And, we are old school. Cash is KING, so help us avoid costly fees and pay by cash at the door. Credit card payments via Paypal are welcome too. Thank you!
Now, meet your Storytellers!!
Tropi Critchett
Tropi Critchet first entered the doors of Jack's/ Summit Station in the 90's. Having moved from. Cleveland, Ohio she was not only a patron she worked the door, bus table and often found herself helping out with housekeeping to keep the venue looking its best. Well at least with the lights down low!! lol. She remarks that SummitStation / Jack's was more than just a bar. It was a home. It was a safe place where people could find all kinds of opportunities to better affirm their lives. She can't even imagine her life and that of many others without there being JACK's A-Go-Go
Carmen Garland
Carmen is a Dyke who moved to Columbus in the early 1980’s to attend college. She became a regular at Jack’s, eventually graduated from OSU and remained in Columbus since then. Eventually she got to retire and is still in Columbus.
Mary Haller
Mary has always loved women ever since falling in love with her gym teacher in kindergarten. It was that love of women and a suggestion from a co-worker that caused Mary to become active with the Women’s Action Collective and its member groups in the 1970s and 80s. Mary worked with Lesbian Peer Support, Women Against Rape and the Rape Crisis Center. She participated in a small Gay Pride event at the statehouse in 1976 which she believes is really the first “Gay Pride” event to occur Columbus. She helped organize the first “Take Back the Night” march and countless other planned and impromptu gay and women’s rights actions and protests.
Mary attended the very first Michigan Women’s Music Festival on “The Land” in Mt. Pleasant Michigan. Later Mary joined and worked with others in the Women’s Music Union to produce and publicize Women’s Music Concerts with Holly Near, Meg Christian, Chris Williamson, Teresa Trull, Barbara Higbie, June Millington, Linda Tillery, Sweet Honey in the Rock and many, many others. And in 1984, Mary was one of the last members of the Women’s Action Collective when it went out of existence.
Throughout this time, although Mary was never much of a bar goer, she knew about and supported Jacks and the critical role it played as a “woman only space”. She spent more than a few nights there drinking Little Kings, watching and trying to woo or being wooed by some very beautiful women.
Mary is honored and pleased to support the development of the “Free Beer Tomorrow” documentary.
The screening and conversation will be introduced and emceed by filmmakers, Julia M. Applegate and LuSter P. Singleton. An open Question & Answer session will follow the screening and dialogue.
This event is brought to you by Sturdy Girl/Fast Friday Productions and is hosted by WOSU Public Media.
Setting up an interview with one of Columbus' Topless 5