Meet The F-Word

Note: These are the ladies that have performed with the company, past & present. There are still many more who attend weekly meetings and share their experiences and stories. Please note that we include the male members in this section.

-Anna Libby Grossman

Name: Arianna A. Iliff
Age: 20
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
Major/Minor: Sociology & Women's and Gender Studies
Why I Joined The F-Word Ladies: I was in a workshop with performance artist Tim Miller, and making theater out of my personal experiences was really inspiring. I saw the potential in The F-Word Ladies for making important statements through art created from my stories. Also, I love to write.
What The F-Word Ladies Means to Me: I haven't felt so passionate about something in a long time. The F-Word is catharsis, (em)power(ment), humor, fellowship, and above all, a means for experiencing freedom. I'm so happy that we have the potential to make a difference.
Favorite Actor/Actress: I don't really have a favorite that I can think of of the top of my head, but I do have a strange soft spot for Michael Cera. He isn't that good and plays the same character every time, buuttt...I have a thing for nerds :)
Goals: To get an internship with SIECUS; to change the world of sex education for the better; to live a healthy lifestyle filled with plentiful sleep, tasty food, exercise, and spiritual fulfillment; to overcome my fears and to help others do so too.
A Secret: I still sleep with a bunch of stuffed animals, including masses of Beanie Babies. :)
Personal Quote: The first one that comes to mind: (About OU) "The thing is, there's more to us than meets the eye. We're like Transformers."

Name: Arielle Giselle Rogers
Age:21
Major: B.F.A. Theater Performance
Minor: Dabbling in all of the arts and General Bad-Assery
Why I Joined The F-Word Ladies: I was an original co-creator. The F-Word Ladies is a personal dream of mine being realized.
What The F-Word Ladies Means to Me: The F-Word Ladies is my way of communicating and connecting with my friends, my fellow members, my audience, and my self. It's funny, friendly, flirtatious, fickle, fan-worthy, facetious, foxy, forward, feral, fundamental, friction-causing, festive, ferocious, flippant, fucked-up, fanciful, fashionable, formidable, and above all-- FACTUAL.
Goals: I want to evolve as an artist and person, though there is little distinction between the two. I want to constantly be bettering myself with the ability to love and enjoy the various aspects of my life all the while.
Secret: Secrets are for the stage!

-Bailey Tarleton

Name: Bethany Jayne Francis
Age: 22
Hometown: Hudson, Ohio
Major: Theater Performance(ish) & Women and Gender Studies
Why I Joined The F-Word Ladies: I can express myself/break the silence/cultivate openness and community with fellow members and audience through art.
What The F-Word Ladies Means to Me: It is incredibly important to me. It allows me to express myself myself in a way I didn't know was possible, with a community of artists who continually inspire me with their eloquence, creativity, and love.
Favorite Actor: Marlon Brando
Favorite Actress: Meryl Streep; Kate Winslet
Personal Goal: To love my body & to enjoy sex.
F-Word Goal: To break the silence of oppression for myself and audience members and to fully bring myself to a moment. Also, to create an openness/ community with myself, other F-Word ladies and the audience.
A Secret: I peed in the community pool. I'm 22 years old...
Personal Quote: "You are radiant."Also..um.. "I've got a semi-automatic weapon in the..hood?"

-Brenna Jenny

-Christy J.

Name: Corinne Zachry
Age: 19
Hometown: West Chester, Ohio
Major: Theater [Production Design & Technology]
Why I Joined The F-Word Ladies: My involvement with The F-Word started when the idea came about at a callback audition. After hearing the stories that some of these ladies had to share, how could I not be a part of it?
What The F-Word Means to Me: To me, the F Word means getting people to talk about subjects that aren't addressed often enough in society. Now, if you want an actual F Word, I'll go with "freedom to talk about anything and everything". Yeah, that sounds nice.
Personal goal: To find out what I want, and build stronger connections with other people.
F Word goal: To have no more secrets.
Personal Quote:

-Cynthia Robinson

-Dan Wainio

-Dylan Combs

-Erich Hiner


Name: Glenna Lynn Brucken
Age: 20
Hometown: Kettering, Ohio
Major: Theater Performance
Why I Joined The F-Word Ladies: I was really inspired by Tim Miller's workshop to keep exercising my creative voice, and I was also inspreded by The F- Word Ladies' first performance-- I was sitting in the audience and so wished to be on stage with them!
What The F-Word Ladies Mean to Me: It's a place where I'm certain of my humanity, where I can support others and feel supported in return. It's a true catharsis for me, where my anxiety is stifled just that little bit.
Favorite Actor: Jason Bateman
Favorite Actress: MERYL STREEP.
Personal Goal: To overcome my anxiety.
F-Word Goal: Make a piece, perform it, and walk away super duper proud, not leaving anything unsaid.
A Secret: I hate that I'm a talker and not a doer.
Personal Quote: "Think positive."

Name: Hannah Ashley Dunn
Age: 20
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
Major: History and Education
Why I Joined The F-Word Ladies: I attended all of the F-Word performances since the first one a year ago and every one of them spoke to me. I knew that I had so much to say and that this was the perfect outlet to let my voice be heard.
What The F-Word Ladies Means to Me: I feel so isolated in my feelings in day to day life. There is no outlet in our society to talk about the issues we face. F-Word is so important because it provides that place for me and others to be open about everything in a judgment-free zone. It's such a heartwarming experience to be able to share my true self with others and know that we all are living in the same world, and can support each other throughout it all.
Favorite Actor: Steve Carell
Favorite Actress: Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth (yes, I'm a Wicked fan...)
Personal Goal: To let the love that surrounds me penetrate my soul and consume me.
F-Word Goal: To be open and honest in every show, allowing myself to be vulnerable and experience the emotion with the audience.
A Secret: F-Word is the first place in college that I've felt like I truly fit.
Personal Quote: "Never give up hope. Know that you are loved" -Deepak Chopra

-Heather Wilson

-Jesse P.

Name: Jessica Kyle Link
Age: 20
Hometown: Cin-City
Major: Theater Performance
Why I Joined The F-Word Ladies: I was apart of the original round table at auditions. It was all very exciting and I wanted to contribute!
What The F-Word Ladies Mean to Me: The F-Word is a grown-up Show and Tell, a terrific opportunity to express and hopefully help someone else to feel just a bit more comfortable.
Favorite Actor/ Actress: I'll watch anything with Kate Winslet in it. Seriously, A Kid In King Arthur's Court, she's a killa star.
Personal Goal: ... to be considered a sexed-up bitch.
F-Word Goal: Help people to keep positive outlooks.
A Secret: I put my fingers in my ears if I'm having trouble falling asleep, more frequently just my right ear.
Personal Quote: "Anyone who smells like the color taupe isn't someone I'd want to directly associate myself with."

-Krista Cickovskis

Name: Laura Alexandria Dakin
Age: 20
Hometown: Athens, Ohio
Major: BA Theater
Why I Joined The F-Word Ladies: I became interested in joining The F-Word Ladies after I saw their 'Bodies' show. When I first heard of the group I thought they would be based pretty much on radical feminist views which isn't something that I could see myself being a part of. But after seeing that show I realized that the group is about celebrating life and who we are, and finding truth in everyday circumstances and norms that have been placed upon us. I joined The F-Word Ladies to find my truth and express it through art with some of the most creative and amazing ladies I've ever met by my side.
What The F-Word Ladies Mean to Me: Truth. I feel that the whole F-Word experience, for me, is about expressing truth. It's about asking the tough questions in life and talking about them instead of keeping them inside...and then taking it about ten steps further and talking about it in front of friends and strangers. It's about making a deep connection with the group and the audience at the same time. It's about the cleansing feeling that comes from laying all your walls down and showing the world your truth.
Favorite Actor: Heath Ledger
Favorite Actress: Angelina Jolie; Sandra Bullock; Ellen Page
Personal Goal: To take control of my life and accomplish all of my goals no matter how long it takes.
F-Word Goal: To never hold back and to make a deep connection or change in at least one person's life with every piece I contribute to the group.
A Secret: I like the smell of my own farts and I don't care how that makes you feel!

-Max M.

-Nicole Serrat

-Rachel Mihuta Grimm

-Sara Tripp Swartout

-Sarah Richards

Name: Sonja Lynn Mata
Age: 20
Hometown: Wheeling, Illinois
Major: BFA Theater Performance
Minor(s): English Creative Writing & Women and Gender Studies
Why I Joined The F-Word Ladies: I originally shared some poetry of mine in the Winter of 2009 at the open mic of the first performance: The F-Word Ladies Touch on Bodies. Finally in the Spring of 2010 I was asked to host the open mic section for the performance: Covering the Bases: The F-Word Ladies Talk About Sex. After sitting in on the first few rehearsals with the ladies, I began writing my own piece in between breaks and pauses. My first piece was titled Fingernails. A rehearsal or two later, I shared my piece with the ladies and even stated that I should only read it in the open mic section because at this time I felt as though I was truly not one of The F-Word Ladies. Arielle was quick to say that there was no difference from the "performance" and the open mic and that I was already one of them. So with that I joined and performed my very first with the ladies later that week.
What The F-Word Ladies Mean to Me: I've also always said that The F-Word Ladies would heal and hurt me the most. Simply because during our meetings the ladies are so open about everything-- the good things, bad things and really bad things that have happened in our lives. And for me I didn't want to handle taking in their pain or sadness. I didn't want to tell myself that I was suffering through the same thing. And sometimes I was so angry with a member because I had done the same exact thing and it was really me lying to myself because I didn't want to hate myself for choosing what I had done. This group and ultimately my performing in this group I hope and believe will be therapeutic for me to heal from some of my past experiences and it will allow me to do so in the handful of ways I know how and that is through my poetry on stage.
Personal Goal: I want to be happy. I think this will happen by a) not talking about people behind their backs and b) having the ability and strength to be open and honest with myself and others.
F-Word Goal: To get naked on stage.
A Secret: I'm 20 years old and I still suck my thumb.
Personal Quote: "i love."

-Stephanie Fisk

Name: Zane DeLong
Age: 19
Hometown: Hudson, Ohio
Major: Photography
Minors: Film & Chinese
Why I Joined The F-Word Ladies: I can explore myself and express my creative side in ways very few groups on campus I've seen allow.
What The F-Word Ladies Mean to Me: Support in creativity, help with life, unconditional acceptance, and many more things.
Personal Goal: To expand myself, my views on life, of people, and creativity.
F-word Goal: To further myself in an art form that I enjoy, but that does not necessarily pertain to my major in a direct way.
A secret: I'm not really a woman.

-YOU


Last Updated: January 9th, 2012 at 8:19 p.m.