The Rice Thresher

Location: http://the.ricethresher.org/ae/2007/02/09/vagina_monologues_review

February 9, 2007 > Arts & Entertainment > Monologues showcases female sexuality

Monologues showcases female sexuality

By Tasha Chemplavil | Thresher Editorial Staff

Vagina: It is the anatomical part that makes a woman a woman. But there are all sorts of taboos associated with the word and its very necessary physiological functions. Why is this? Eve Ensler’s Vagina Monologues seeks to remove some of the taboos, and Rice’s production of the popular play succeeds in that endeavor.

Ensler wrote Monologues after interviewing more than 200 women about their vaginas — their memories and nightmares, fears and fantasies. Some of the monologues relate the story of one woman, and others are compilations of common female experiences. The stories vary in tone from the lighthearted “My Short Skirt” to the tragic “My Vagina Was My Village,” but they all celebrate female sexuality.

Set in a dark room with a black stage and colorless costumes, the minimalism of Monologues’ production forces viewers to focus on the ideas and emotions being expressed on stage. The audience has nowhere to look but at the actress giving her monologue, and the stories shared are usually worth the attention.

At first, the constant use of the word “vagina” is jarring. It is true that it is not a common word. In both media and real life, people use euphemisms to describe the area “down there.” Early in Monologues, this very topic is addressed — the actresses provide an extensive list of vagina nicknames. But as the play continues, the word loses its unfamiliar sound. It starts to resonate with viewers, encouraging them to embrace the forbidden word.

Monologues addresses everything from menstruation to vaginal embarrassment. The stories are well-written with wit and metaphoric imagery. And they are well-portrayed by women who believe in the power of female sexuality. While some performances run a little long, they are for the most part entertaining and thought-provoking.

Sprinkled among the monologues are trivia and facts about female sexuality and oppression. Statistics about topics like the nerve population of the clitoris and the frequency of genital mutilations educate and intrigue audience members.

Thankfully, not everything about Monologues is serious. Hilarity ensues when Baker College junior Erin Felton displays her vast repertoire of orgasmic moans in “The Woman Who Loved to Make Vaginas Happy.” Her take on the lawyer-turned-sex worker starts out slow, but builds to an eruption of audience laughter. Felton’s customized “Rice University Moan” — mostly halfhearted murmurs accompanied by impatient watch-checking — will induce sympathetic giggles in any college girl. She commits to the part wholeheartedly and the effort pays off.

Will Rice College senior Christina Yi’s performance in “My Angry Vagina” is also notable. Yi knows how to evoke anger convincingly, but as her story progresses and her postures evolve — from brazen strides to vulnerable compactness — she demonstrates true acting talent.

While Monologues entertains, entertainment is not its sole purpose. The play is just one part of a campaign to promote awareness about violence against women. The production has already held viewings of Juarez Femicide — a film about the brutal murders of women in Juarez, Mexico — in conjunction with HACER and has presented Project Clothesline, a visual display of T-shirts designed by female survivors of domestic and sexual violence and their friends and family, with the Women’s Resource Center. All proceeds from Monologues go to the Houston Area Women’s Shelter and to V-Day, whose Web site calls it “a global movement to stop violence against women and girls.” Both organizations provide aid for victims of domestic and sexual violence. This weekend, see the show, help combat violence against women and learn a little something about vaginas. According to Felton, you Rice men need the education.

End of article

Back to top