Scarlet Masque Theatre Journal New Beginnings and Fond Farewells Vol. 1 | Page 17

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and give greater detail and analysis on a significant piece of theater at WOW, Split Britches
(1981) by Lois Weaver, Peggy Shaw, and Deb Margolin. 8
The WOW Café Theater originally started out as the Women’s One World Festival,
produced for two years in 1980 and 1981 by Peggy Shaw, Lois Weaver, Pamela Cami, and
Jordi Mark. The idea came about as a result of a few years of European touring by a few of the
starting producers and communications with European theatre troupes about getting
performance space in New York City, which would help them to gain larger success in Europe.
The first international festival, held at the All-Craft Center on E. 8th St. in the East Village of
Manhattan, ran for two weeks, with upwards of three shows a night in addition to various
daytime performances. Every show produced was “either written by a woman directed by a
woman or had a woman’s sensibility, that was the main criteria for a performance to be
included” (Lois Weaver). The second festival was held at the Ukrainian Home and University of
the Streets after the owners of the original All-Craft Center performance space padlocked the
doors following claimed fire damaged from a fire that happened next door the same night as a
risqué Flamboyant Ladies show. This second festival occurred in October of 1981, with a café
space in the University of the Streets and “Pasta and Performance” at both the University of the
Streets and the Ukrainian Home in addition to their other shows.
After a brief stint at Café 57 and an amassing of support and members, the women of
the WOW Café Theater rented their first personal performance space at 330 E. 111th St.,
opening on March 27th, 1982. Money was raised through the café, which served coffee and
sandwiches, and through gaining members who paid $60 a year in dues, which allowed
members half-off pricing at the doors of events. The newborn theater was marked by a weakly-
organized management system of about twelve well-meaning “heads” who maintained the
space until the arrival of Holly Hughes, who took over the theater, increased performances, and
8
Ibid. 29-37.