Uncategorized Archives - Shield Maiden

October 7, 2023October 7, 2023

Shield Maiden Marketing

Shield Maiden marketing has been focused from the start. A consistent package, brand, message and imagery proves this powerful one woman show delivers what it promises.

With clear and brilliant photography from Bill Pope Photography, HA Photo, and video captures by Port Theatre and Mitch Miller, Shield Maiden is ready to market to your audiences.

Audiences everywhere are coming back to theatre in full force and they are hungry for new, innovative and exciting theatre. Shield Maiden delivers all that and more. Contact us today for bookings. With professional and ready to go content, Shield Maiden marketing is easy to package. Give your theatre audience what they are ready for.

SHIELD MAIDEN

Written and Performed by Melanie Teichroeb

SHIELD MAIDEN is funny, sexy, fierce and unapologetic!

Imagine a 10th century Viking TED Talk on what it means to be a Viking warrior woman. As Garrison Commander Ingrid Larsdottir comedically endeavours to engage new recruits, she inadvertently reveals her own tragic and violent personal history. Watching her struggle with her trauma is unsettling. Witnessing her tap into her inner strength is inspiring. Ingrid’s clarion call for equality and new recruits wins! She empowers women to reclaim the warrior archetype in a substantive way.

This modern feminist story uses a character from the past to expose the sad reality that not enough has changed in the treatment of women since the time of Vikings…one thousand years ago.

The show challenges untruths about women and gendered expectations and is based on an historical character who history gaslit the hell out of.

June 5, 2023June 5, 2023

Shield Maiden 2023 Pacific Contact

What a great conference for Shield Maiden at 2023 Pacific Contact! Thank you BC Touring Council for a wonderful opportunity.! Thank you BC Touring Council for a wonderful opportunity to connect and spend time with presenters, artists and agent/managers from all parts of BC. Our booth was incredible thanks to images by Dirk Heydeman and Bill Pope and folks loved getting their photo taken with Ingrid and her bad ass swords.

This conference was a true success for the show. Melanie and Sandy networked with presenters from the Vancouver area all the way up to the near and far north. What an amazing group of humans dedicated to bringing live performance to all parts of BC.

The impacts of Covid were still keenly felt. Performers and presenters are all trying to carve a new path back to success. For Shield Maiden 2023 Pacific Contact was empowering to strategize, recognize and share experiences.

Stay tuned for more information because the 2024/2025 Touring season is shaping up!

Shield Maiden 2023 Pacific Contact, New Westminster, BC

April 19, 2023April 19, 2023

Shield Maiden Slays Nanaimo

With a stellar tech crew, lighting design by Hilary Britton-Foster, and ASL interpretation by Katt Campbell, Shield Maiden Slays Nanaimo! This was one of our biggest Shield Maiden shows ever. The amazing staff and crew at the Port Theatre created a warm longhouse feel and our rowdy crowd showed up ready to roll!

Big thank you to David Warburton and his entire Port Theatre Staff and crew!

Thank you also to Sandy Cumberland, Graham Croft, Mitch Anderson and Dave Teichroeb for tech support and filming. New promo video coming soon!

ASL and Live Theatre

Melanie is hard of hearing, wears hearing aides and lip reads. Her Production Manager, Sandy Cumberland, is hard of hearing and wears hearing aides. Melanie has been exploring what it means to be part of the d/Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community. She has started taking sign language classes as well.

Melanie paired up with Island Deaf and Hard of Hearing to provide ASL interpretation for Shield Maiden. The Port Theatre was extremely supportive of this endeavour and the amazing Katt Campbell arrived to interpret for a rowdy crowd from the d/Deaf community in Nanaimo. Katt was incredible and the plan is to create inclusivity at as many shows as possible moving forward.

Did you know ASL is regional? Signs for certain words on Vancouver Island are different in Newfoundland. As we move the show forward, hiring interpreters from the region will be vital to good representation for all audiences.

The Shield Maiden team invites venues to seek out resources to make the performances they present as accessible as possible. Contact us for more information!

January 16, 2020January 16, 2020

Amazon Warrior Women

Adrienne Mayor’s book about Amazon warrior women is a real treat. My play Shield Maiden asks me to continually work to find the warrior spirit in myself. I was thrilled to find a book steeped in proof of the existence of women warriors in history. It is quite dismaying that the notion of a woman warrior is still so heavily disputed.

The Amazons Lives and Legends of Warrior Women across the Ancient World

Mayor uses historical Greek artifacts to build the case that women warriors were more than cartoon fictionalized characters. These women were real people, living and fighting, loving, bearing children.

This past week, Mayor was interviewed by NPR’s Lulu Garcia-Navarro about a recent archaeological find of women warriors buried in Russia. Here is a link to the transcript. The gravesite includes the bodies of four women. Their ages range from 13 to 50.

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“Many people had thought, in the past, that perhaps women of childbearing age or mothers or older women would not be participating in warfare. But this shows that women of childbearing age and even up into their 50s were participating in battle when necessary.”

Shield Maiden is based on the Birka warrior confirmed by DNA testing carried out in 2017 to be a woman. However, this discovery led to quite a loud uproar to the notion of women warriors. The idea of Amazons was met with equally rabid protest. Amazons were relegated to the land of myth and cartoons. Mayor rigourously cites ancient proof that these women in fact existed.

Therefore, this recent Russian burial site which “shows that women of all ages were active warriors and participated in battle alongside the men and were buried with the same honors as the men.” is a goldmine of proof and vindication to Mayor’s research.

All of this recent proof about ancient/ amazon women warriors makes my one woman show so much more exciting to me. My character is no longer just one woman from history but an army of women who were warriors rolled into one body.

July 29, 2019July 29, 2019

Feminism, Activism, Vikings, #MeToo

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Shield Maiden Play came from feminism, activism, Vikings, and the #MeToo Movement. This one woman play explores the framework of today’s #MeToo Movement laid on top of the ancient woman warrior archetype.

The catalyst for Shield Maiden play is a 2018 article about DNA testing done on a corpse found in a Viking burial site in the 1800’s. The testing revealed that the “ideal warrior grave” was occupied by a female. Not a male. This challenges every discovery of every warrior burial site world wide. What happens if scientists do more DNA studies on remains assumed to be male?

What does it mean when feminism and activism enter into the scientific study of Vikings? “Hedenstierna-Jonson et al. just opened up a whole line of research questions that remind us how complex, rich, and fascinating human societies actually are when we study them for who they were and not to reflect who we think we are.^” Holly Norton, The Guardian

These researchers rolled feminism, activism, Vikings and #MeToo up in one tasty, spicy, mind-blowing, intellectual taco.

Women serve in active combat, fight for human rights and raise and protect their children. When strong women do step forward, there is STILL an immediate attempt to silence them, humiliate them, denigrate them and ultimately, erase them.

Recent examples of women warriors include Jody Wison-Raybould and Jane Philpot in Canada and “The Squad” in the US as well as the most amazing young female warrior, Greta Thunberg . These women are examples of warrior spirit. Furthermore, they are in actual battle because their lives are threatened for speaking out against status quo assumptions.

Maybe it’s difficult for you to imagine a Viking woman warrior existed. But feminism and activism will continue to challenge scientific assumptions. Why not take a page out of the Birka DNA study and assume that all people are capable of amazing things.

June 26, 2019

Archetype of the Woman Warrior

Shield Maiden Play shines a light on the archetype of the woman warrior. What happens when women step beyond nice and polite? How do you feel when you witness one woman’s vulnerability, sexuality and rage all in one conversation? What does unapologetic female power look like? And…

What’s it like to see a woman warrior wield deadly weapons?

I’m supported by a team of amazing warrior sisters including director Nicolle Nattrass and production manager, Sandy Cumberland. I worked with my friend EJ Hurst, a blackbelt in the Kyokushin Karate tradition. She helped me ground down into some deeper warrior energy. Her energy is with me every time I’m on stage. When I rehearse, when I go over lines, when I listen to music that inspires my inner warrior – I feel that strong archetypal influence.

However, some of the physicality of being a warrior is really tough for me to access. I’m specifically talking about weapons and how to use them. Sandy found a hot shot to help me dive in deeper. He is Choreographer R Robinson Wilson. Not only is he a highly respected Fight Guy, he is super well versed in all things Norse. We have our first fight rehearsal session tomorrow. I am so excited to see how we can further develop the visual strength of the Viking warrior woman. We have discussed the possibility that my character, Ingrid, needs a sword, a shield AND an axe. Keep your eyes open for posts of my practice injuries. They could be phenomenal.

Most of us will never need to be proficient with axes and swords and other forms of weaponry. But I want you to come away from my production feeling like if you ever needed to…you could. That’s the power of art. Archetypes work this way too. They tap into the common unconscious experience and reflect it back.

The archetype of the woman warrior is needed now more than ever.

This is the zeitgeist of the #MeToo movement, the #TimesUp movement. The line has been crossed for the Fourth Wave of Feminism. As a result, don’t expect the mother/nurturer to show up and explain things gently and hand you cookies while she’s doing it. Nope. Warrior Woman shows up solid and unyielding to your incorrect assumptions about her. And she is ready to dissolve the arena where all the injustice has occurred.

So I’m working very hard to get this play out in front of people. Because sometimes, unless you see and hear a strong woman speak her truth and not back away from other people’s bullshit, you don’t realize how much you’ve been groomed to stay quiet and well behaved. Above all, you don’t realize how strong the woman warrior is in YOU.

Go see shieldmaidenplay.com

United Solo This is the largest juried solo show in the world and happens off Broadway in the famed Theatre District of New York City.

Want to help get Team Shield Maiden to NYC this fall? Email us and donate air miles and/or funds. Have friends and family in the NYC area who love kick ass feminist theatre? Spread the word about our show at USolo.

British Columbia this fall (dates tba)

May 29, 2019June 4, 2019

Shield Maiden NYC Tickets

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Shield Maiden NYC Tickets are on Sale for Shield Maiden Play in NYC at the United Solo Festival. This prestigious juried festival has invited Shield Maiden to perform on Theatre Row, Off-Broadway on October 31st at 7:30 pm. It’s guaranteed to be a fantastic night. Melanie Teichroeb’s alter ego Ingrid, Viking Woman Warrior, brings truth to Broadway.

It’s Halloween so dress up as your favourite warrior. Or come as a Viking. Or come as your amazing self! Don’t miss the opportunity to be a part of the rowdy crowd!

Shield Maiden Play is about a Viking Woman Warrior who addresses sexism, gender bias, sexual freedom, and trauma. Written and performed by Melanie Teichroeb during the birth of the #metoo movement. Think Ted Talks but with a Viking twist.

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To Get Shield Maiden NYC tickets go to the United Solo show link and click on tickets or go directly to the TeleCharge Link for October 31st, 7:30pm

Contact Melanie for more Information

April 11, 2019December 9, 2019

United Solo Festival Invites Shield Maiden Play to NY

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Shield Maiden Play is going to 42nd Street, New York City for the United Solo Festival !

The United Solo Festival has invited Melanie to perform Shield Maiden on October 31st, 2019. Tickets will be on sale July 15. It’s a huge honour to be chosen for Ufest. This is the world’s largest solo show theatre festival. This year celebrates 10 years for the festival. Last year 80% of the plays were by woman.

We will be reaching out for support for the show. If the first night sells out you get a second night. If that sells out you get a third and so on. Tell your friends and make plans now to be in the audience as your favourite Viking woman warrior conquers 42nd Street in New York’s world famous Theatre District .

Contact Melanie to find out more information on how you can be there or help support.

January 18, 2019December 9, 2019

Sold Out Shield Maiden – Gabriola

The Team -Sold Out Shield Maiden Two Nights Gabriola

Thank You Everyone for making this a sucess!

January 1, 2019December 9, 2019

Happy New Year Warriors!

Happy New Year Warriors! Today is New Year’s Eve, 2018. I’m slowing down for a moment to look back and reflect on the year and how it unfolded for me.

We are all fighting for something. Some of you made that move to change jobs. Maybe you stood up to an abusive partner or co-worker. Did you decide to finally take more time for yourself when you feel pulled in a million different directions? None of it’s easy. All of it takes extreme courage. I have been so inspired by people sharing their warrior ways with me this year.

As I reflect back on my year, the big stand out for me IS courage and how hard that stuff is to come by. When we finally find some, it is monumentally hard to keep it out in the open. I tend to want to stuff it back into a little hidey hole somewhere. But this year, I’ve had to keep the courage machine pumping…non stop. Oh, I get afraid and want to quit. But for the first time in a long while, I am able to get back out in front of my fears and move forward.

For me, courage came from writing my play, “Shield Maiden”. I’d love to share the play with you. Check the show schedule for venues and times. It gets updated regularly. I’ve got some exciting ones coming up on Gabriola and in Austin, Texas for Frontera Fest.

I could not have found an ounce of courage without the character the play is built around. I’m talking about the amazing, bad ass Viking warrior, Ingrid. Ingrid is so clear. She knows herself. She is uncompromising. The tag line of my play has become my mantra…”Fierce, Sexy, Funny, Uncompromising”. I am sure that if I say it enough times, it will become true. Like Dorothy repeating “There’s no place like home.” Maybe it’s true already. That’s the gift of courage I think. You don’t even know you’ve had it till you look back and reflect. So, here I am. Reflecting. Happy New Year, Warriors!

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