Amy Oppenheimer’s Amazing Journey Reveals Women’s Rocky Path

by Robert M. Gardner‍ ‍

Amy Oppenheimer’s candid performance at the Marsh in Berkeley powerfully recounts her transformation from a wild hippie to a committed lesbian, lawyer, and judge. Her calm honesty strikes us as she recounts her decades of dawning awareness. Her show is lovingly called: “Looking for Justice (In All the Wrong Places).”

Oppenheimer, a petite woman, has a wry sense of humor and has no problem poking fun at herself. But her message is serious and deeply self-reflective. She identifies as a lesbian feminist, a realization that came to her slowly.

Oppenheimer started to realize that she enjoyed spending time with women more than she did with her boyfriends. We are privileged to listen in and learn about her evolution from a heterosexual hippie to a proud, fully committed lesbian.

She becomes a mother of two adopted biracial children and a champion for sexual justice.

A botched rape trial involving a friend becomes her motivation for a life dedicated to seeking justice. The funny, personal court trial inspires Amy to go to law school because she sees firsthand the injustice for both the survivor and the perpetrator.

The shocking case spurs her to go to school and then become an administrative judge. She transforms herself into an advocate for legal protections against sexual violence in schools and workplaces—a wonderful and unexpected journey. She plays a role in the “Take Back the Night” and “Restorative Justice” movements—telling incredible stories of the law’s resistance to change and how to jiu-jitsu the law.

When I was a college professor, I saw the positive effects on the campus with our first “Take Back the Night” events. Too often in our patriarchal society, women suffer in silence, and their perpetrator not at all. Amy shows us both sides of the law—for women and for men.

As the mother of a Black son, Amy is forced to deal firsthand with the racism that he endures daily. Her stories of defending her son in stores and schools shed new light on the life around us. In our present political crisis, we fear for the future of the many advances made by brave women like Amy. Where does she go from here?

There are opportunities after each of her shows to discuss other issues dealing with sexual violence and women’s rights. Oppenheimer shows that justice gives voices to victims. And second chances to perpetrators, too.

In closing, Oppenheimer voices a bittersweet observation: “Can we really find justice in an unjust world?”  I’ve often wondered how we can ever achieve sexual equality when women and men are biologically wired so differently.

In today’s political turmoil, her work becomes more important than ever if we are going to make the workplace and schools safe and welcoming for everyone. Kudos to Amy Oppenheimer for speaking out and changing all our lives. Her show is charming, fun, and revealing.

“Looking for Justice (In All the Wrong Places)” –written & performed by Amy Oppenheimer, directed by David Ford, performance coaching by Julia McNeal, and tech by Sid Zhang, at The Marsh, Berkeley.

Info: themarsh.org – Sundays at 5:00 pm – to March 29, 2026.

Cast: Amy Oppenheimer (as herself).

Banner photo: Amy Oppenheimer