The ‘bad-ass-ery’ of womanhood with Paige Hoffman

Paige Hoffman

International Women’s Day, and the entire month of March, is a time to highlight and commemorate all that women have achieved - past, present, and future. Revry honors their contributions to our history and society, and to provide recognition and encouragement of a more inclusive future. 

Women have been left out from our history and overlooked far too often. Women’s History Month is a time to showcase the talent and creativity that lives within our female-identifying community. Directors, actresses, writers, and more; we’ll be interviewing creative and inspirational women who make a difference with their art. 

Paige Hoffman is a writer, creator, executive producer, and actor in the series ‘The Filth’ which was awarded ‘Best Writer - Comedy’ at SeriesFest. Paige is a resident dancer with the dance troupe ‘R.A.I.D’ where she has performed at the Desert Daze Festival, Proudfest LA, and several music videos. Her talents don’t stop there, as she additionally performs improvisational comedy around LA, teaches theater, and is a part of a comedy YouTube channel called ‘The TidePool’. You can keep up to date with her at @gingerbadger on Instagram!  

What does Women's History Month mean to you?

I just moved into my first place by myself in Los Angeles this week and last night was my first night alone. As I got ready for bed, I made sure that I had pepper spray within an arm's reach. I locked all three of my doors and as I laid there, I thought about all of the work we still have to do as women just to exist. It may be a "glass half empty" kind of thought process (especially at midnight, hello 8am alarm right around the corner), but I have always looked at month-long celebrations as pandering and oftentimes forced. With all of the work that still needs to be done, what can these next 31 days do to change anything?

But within only one day, I had already learned history about women I had never heard before because of the exposure of Women's History Month and, as a powerful woman myself, I get to push those boundaries on how we are perceived and how we can do better. We can do more to believe women, to keep them safe, to employ them. I get to wake up and be a radical woman every day, pepper spray only a few feet away. How badass is that? What may now seem forced will only shed more light on the badassery that is womanhood and thank god for it. Thank her daily.

There are so many unacknowledged women who made history. Is there a women creator that has impacted our work?

I studied theater under the deity known as Mei Ann Teo. She taught me that genres can be mixed, lines can be crossed, and both everything and nothing matters all at once. I learned that fear and joy are intimately intertwined, which I have brought to my own work, including the Filth. Bringing the audience with you and holding them breathless, whether on stage or on screen, is always the goal and I owe a lot of that to the presence that is Mei Ann. She has gone on to teach and create all over the globe and I am extremely thankful for her.

History is inspirational to future generations. What advice would you give the next generation of women creators?

As we move forward in a world that is more feral--in both good and bad ways -- I would tell future creators to keep pushing the boundaries of what they can create, who they are, the stories they can tell AND the ways in which these stories can be told. Push on what feminism is to you, and try to blow out the walls that have been placed around it (because they aren't real!). Remember that you are but one verrrry small part of this creative world and be receptive to listening to others who have different viewpoints. Continue to stand up for yourself and also speak up for those whose voices aren't as heard, such as those of the BIWOC and trans communities. Be kind, be patient, and be absolutely irreverent. I really mean that last part. Give them absolute hell.

In celebration of Women’s History Month, Revry has curated a powerful collection of stories told by female artists featuring films, TV series, music, and more.