Getting to know Penny Arcade and her life as an artist was definitely a very interesting experience. I had not previously known about Penny Arcade or her performances but after watching a few clips of her most famous show Bitch! Dyke! Faghag! Whore! I saw that she had a very unique performance style. Her works comprise of expressions of social issues and giving a voice to the people often overlooked and marginalized by society. Penny Arcade is a performance artist, poet, and playwright with a very dynamic stage presence. I enjoyed listening to her story and how she established a career as a performing artist.

Penny Arcade shared how she grew up in a working class Italian immigrant family that did not truly accept her. She ended up running away to New York City where she became part of a performance company by the age of seventeen. She spoke about how she performed in Europe and how those experiences shaped her life. She also reflected on her love for New York City and how it was always so rich in diversity and culture. She was able to truly experience authentic culture in the different areas of the city. However now she states that the authenticity of the city is fading away with the increase of gentrification which is causing NYC to lose the culture and diversity that always made it so special.

I found her conversation about censorship and youth to be very interesting. She talked about how modern generations are being sheltered and censored from the gritty realities of life which is taking away from their experiences. She encouraged us to travel and try new things while we are young because this is the time of opportunity in our lives. She advised us to take advantage of the opportunities that come our way because we never know where they can lead us. I thought that this was very good advice as I want to try to push myself outside my comfort zone and try things that I am not very familiar with.

Penny Arcade was very inspiring and she engaged with the entire class, asking about our future career paths and what we hope to accomplish. She encouraged us to reach out with any questions we may have and was very willing to give advice. Although I do not particularly connect with her styles of performances, I am glad that I had the opportunity to meet Penny Arcade and learn about her inspiring journey as an artist.