AnarchyinHighHeelsisnotastateofdress;it’sastateofmind.ASanFranciscopornotheatermightbethelastplaceyou’dexpecttoplanttheseedofafeministtroupe,buttruthisstrangerthanfiction.In1972,accesstobirthcontrolandaburn-your-braethoswereleadingyoungwomentorepudiatetheir1950sconservativeupbringingandembraceanewliberation.DeniseLarsonwasatimidtwenty-four-year-oldactresswannabewhen,atanafter-hourscounterculturalevent,ThePeople’sNickelodeon,sheaccidentallycreatedLesNickelettes.Thisbandingtogetherof竅竅like-mindedwomenwithananything-goesspiritunlockedadeeplyhiddenfemalehumor.Forthefirsttime,Deniseallowedthesuppressedsatiricalthoughtsdancingthroughherheadtocomeoutintheopen.TogetherwithLesNickelettes,whichquicklybecameabrazenwomen’slibtroupe,shepresentedaseriesoffeministskits,stunts,andmusicalcomedyplays.In1980,TheBayGuardiandescribedthegroupas“nutty,messy,flashy,trashy,andveryfunny.“Withsisterhoodprovidingthemoxie,Denisetookonleadershippositionsnotcommonforwomenatthetime:playwright,stagedirector,producer,andadministrative/artisticdirector.But,intheend,themostimportantthingshelearnedwasthepoweroffemalefriendship.
