Spotlight on Documentary: THE RUBI GIRLS

Watch Trailer Director: Jonathan McNeal
Awards: Audience Award- Best Documentary, Fire Island Film Festival; Audience Award- Best of Festival Out on Film, Atlanta, GA

Combining live performance, interview, and archival footage from “the early days”, this documentary not only traces the history of the “Girls” and their madcap antics, but also attempts to redefine the term “family values.” After shooting

miscellaneous footage while in film school, filmmaker Jonathan McNeal became a member of the Rubi Girls’ extended family and a regular performer. Due in part to his presence, the cameras were able to catch many of the girls in

raw form without inhibitions. The piece captures both the charisma of the men and the excitement of their adoring fans. The performance footage has a fresh, vigorous energy with a smart edge, and test audiences called this portrait both “uplifting” and “full of life.”

The Rubi Girls are a dynamic, close-knit troupe of friends who have been performing since the mid 1980s. Comprised of men from various professional backgrounds, the group began performing in attics and living rooms during college. What started on Rubicon Street near the Montgomery County Fairgrounds in 1985 has grown into a frenzy for tickets when a new show is announced! In 1999, the group was honored by the City of Dayton with its honorable Community Service Award, and the local press in Dayton has been incredibly supportive as well. Over the years, The Rubi Girls have helped raise more than $1,000,000 for HIV/AIDS and gay-related causes.

This screening is part of the Athena’s SPOTLIGHT ON DOCUMENTARY SERIES, and is brought to you in part by Ohio University’s LGBT center and OU Performing Arts.

The screening will be followed by a performance from the Rubi Girls and a Q&A.