ANARCHY IN HIGH HEELS

A debut memoir focuses on a young woman performing, making lifelong friendships, and finding herself during the 1970s.

Larson’s book is a feminist coming-of-age story about breaking free from the conservative ethos of the ’50s. The author, who grew up in a Los Angeles suburb, believed she would end up as a housewife, secretary, nurse, or teacher. But she had a taste of show business as a child, when she appeared on a daytime variety show, and it left a mark. While studying drama as an undergraduate in San Francisco, Larson began working as a cashier at a “porno theater.” (“Porn is no big deal anymore,” a friend assured her.) The author began performing in an after-hours event at the theater and formed a feminist comedy troupe called Les Nickelettes. Larson wrote the satirical plays as well as directed and produced the shows, which were popular among critics and audiences. Les Nickelettes had a stint in New York City, but their reception was lukewarm, and they returned to California in debt and overwhelmed. Still, their bonds remained strong, and the author returned to New York to continue performing with her friends years later. Larson’s memoir deftly captures the countercultural energy of the ’70s. The bawdy performances included skits of the women “as cowgirls riding stick ponies and singing ‘Deep in My Solar Plexus.’ ” But the story is also a stark reminder of the sexism that women experienced in that era. “Until Les Nickelettes asked for my opinions, I didn’t think my thoughts mattered,” explained one of the performers. Similarly, while auditioning in New York, Judy, a biracial Nickelette, experienced startling racism: “They’d say: ‘Are you a little Asian?’ ‘You’re not Spanish looking enough.’ ‘Can you be Black?’ ” Larson recounts key events without glamorizing or dramatizing the highs and lows of this time in American history. Instead, she celebrates the power of friendship and the critical role of art to push boundaries: “Here’s the premise: Would religion and culture change if God were perceived as female instead of male?” In addition, the engrossing book addresses the importance of empowering marginalized individuals, who have so much to say.

A meaningful, feminist joyride that travels back in time.