Arts

The Vagina Monologues: Sexual Honesty and the Female Psyche

A production much anticipated on Andover Hill, The Vagina Monologues, written by Eve Ensler, was surrounded by as much controversy as the suggestive title might imply. After months of battling a disapproving Theater Department and tentative faculty, director/producer/actor Ali Rosen ’03 took on the show as an independent project to study the female psyche. The debut of this mature show, with its sometimes shocking content, unveiled sexual honesty that is so often alluded to, but never directly addressed, by many famous authors, playwrights, and musicians. Though there was a “16 years and over” audience policy, the administration assumed a certain maturity level of the youth at PA and allowed the show to go on: “We don’t want to censor our students,” said Dean of Studies Vincent Avery. Thus, on May 9, The Vagina Monologues made its debut at Andover. With a simple set and black costuming, this show was composed of multiple monologues intermixed with “vagina facts” and fast-paced three- or four- person accounts of various female experiences. The Vagina Monologues was a mosaic of women’s thoughts and memories of a vast spectrum of feelings. Thus, it is impossible to address this play as a whole without describing the wonderful talent that composed its cast. The actresses cast in The Vagina Monologues had theater experience that ranged from novice to veteran of the PA stage, but, as director Rosen commented, “You couldn’t even discern between the experts and the beginners; they were all so wonderful and enthusiastic.” Opening the show, Emma Sussex ’04 played the informed and adventurous narrator who was the audience’s connection to the various characters in the show. Sussex displayed an amazing comfort onstage that made the abrupt opening of the show seem real and natural. Poised and polished, her performance was very believable and illustrated the reality of the show’s content from its very first line. Mari Ono ’03, who stunned the audience from her very first word, “hair,” as she developed her character’s marriage traumas and the issues surrounding them, was delightfully animated and vibrant. The idiomatic gestures she gave her character, such as the bright smile she flashed when her character became nervous, illuminated the work she put into recreating herself as the woman she was playing. Yet another member of this cast that flashed an infectious smile was Katie Green ’03, who played a woman that found her “true-self” via a vagina workshop. Green’s performance was very entertaining. Whether confessing her love for Red Hot Chili Peppers music or describing her experience with the seminar, Green totally immersed herself in every moment, each of her lines expressed with precision. Her performance captured the audience’s attention and held it whether she was leading us through slow, intense moments or fast, frantic ones. Abbe Anderson ’03, who is no beginner when it comes to the stage, was able to convey a sense of bashfulness in her character that added a certain lightness and innocence to the show. Her portrayal of innocence juxtaposed with the sin found in other monologues was essential to lightening the show and Anderson subtly accomplished this, which in itself illustrates her incredible talent. Displaying the converse of Anderson’s experiences was Britney Bailey ’03 in her absolutely entrancing monologue. Though many of the subjects she touched upon, such as rape, were sensitive issues, her performance was so real that she seemed to transport audience members back in time with her to the moment that she was describing. Her raw acting made her performance so plausible that viewers could practically feel the hate and anger themselves that her character had endured. Bailey brought true intensity to the show. Her performance was both exceptionally powerful and incredibly moving. A mix of Anderson’s and Bailey’s performances was that of Jenny Byer ’04, who performed a monologue about short skirts and their importance to those who wear them. Byer played the monologue with a personality that was fun and playful while simultaneously conveying a deeper message: a woman’s external appearance represents her freedom, her choice, and a certain “liberation.” A woman’s clothes cover a body that is hers and hers alone: if a woman wishes to embrace her sexuality and show a little skin, it is not necessarily to attract men, but for the woman herself and her own confidence. Lindsey Locks ’03 added humor to the show with her illustration of different “moans” and what each orgasm means. Her commitment to her character gave her a glow on stage that made the audience smile every time she delivered a line. Captivating the audience in a similar manner to Locks was Ashley May ’03. Whether involved in a serious dialogue or delivering quick, clever quips, May illuminated her spunky personality and made her characters her own. Justine Wardrop ’03 gave a sophisticated solemnity to the show that created a dignified aura around her character to make the scenes in which she appeared seem exceptionally honest and believable. Although relatively inexperienced in the theatrical arts, Kate Takvorian ’03 was also a wonderful asset to the show. Playing more reserved characters, Takvorian’s calmness illuminated her in the cast; she has wonderful natural talent. Boo Littlefield ’03 has such an incredible stage presence, practically legendary by now after her multiple performances at PA. With her incredible power onstage, Littlefield was unbelievably entertaining in every role she played, whether it was a 6-year-old child or an elderly woman. Her talent is always refreshing. The main shock factor in the play came from Katie Regner ’03. Stepping onstage in between monologues, she informed the audience of random “vagina facts,” some which were literally echoed by gasps. Regner toyed with her role, realizing her power as the show’s “shocker,” and perfectly manipulated her lines to obtain the precise response she wanted from her audience. Last, but certainly not least, was the director and producer of the show, Ali Rosen ’03. If getting the show performed wasn’t enough of an accomplishment, Rosen acted in the play as well. An experienced actress, Rosen’s performance, was, as expected, delivered with ease and reality. With a gift for the stage, Rosen played a woman angered about the abuses she must go through at the gynecologist. Delivering hilarious lines while still remaining serious and composed, Rosen was amazing. From solemn accounts of rape to an elderly lady’s hilarious recount of her “down there,” this show constantly reinvented itself with new, shocking sequences to surprise the audience. The actresses of the cast made these transitions with graceful ease. Though multiple cancellations of the play frustrated those involved with the show’s production, the determination of all involved resulted in the debut of The Vagina Monologues here on campus, an event that has, as many faculty members and students have remarked, “made theater history here at PA.”