Vagina Monologues
The Vagina Monologues was a play performed based on a small book that included a series of interviews of a diverse group of over 200 women discussing their vaginas and sexuality. The interviews performed ranged from funny to provocative to maddeningly serious. The women ranged from young to old, married and single, heterosexual, bisexual and lesbian, and included many races. With phrases like "If your vagina got dressed, what would it wear?" the play asks questions that are oddly provocative yet bring up issues that question peoples perceptions about their own sexuality. The play was directed by a group of 5 women who discussed and commented on each of the interviews. The set for the play was a simple formation of splitting the stage into two sides. On one side, the commentators in five chairs and on the other a spot l
But I feel that this was the whole goal of the Vagina Monologues - to bring awareness to people and allow them to gain a sense of comfort in discussing issues about sexuality that are normally considered taboo. ight fell strategically on the woman whose interview was being performed. By maintaining this simplicity, the play emphasizes the importance of each interview and allows the audience to focus on the character without being distracted by a cluttered set. Overall I found the Vagina Monologues to be refreshing in the subject matter, yet at the same time somewhat unsettling because the material presented was not what I was expecting when attending the play. The topic seemed like an uncomfortable one in that most of the people the audience were probably not at ease with hearing about the topic in such a public arena. This technique highly complemented the subject matter because the play was simple interviews and did not involve much movement or props. The beauty of the play emerged as, throughout their discussions of the interviews, each of the women exposed her honest self and found that the way people act publicly is not always a reflection of the way that they think. Another woman gave a comical interpretation of her opinions about the gynecologist. In a loud, blunt, and bitter description, she goes through the experience of a visit to the doctor and the various "torture" like devices used on women. Each of the 5 commentators had a distinct voice from a proper southern belle to a blunt, openly sexual woman. Once again, this topic is one that not many people discuss and also one that the men in the audience can truly benefit from hearing a woman's perspective on. The simplicity of the set enhanced the experience by allowing the audience to fully focus on the actress on stage and her actual words. The women discussed their vaginas, sexuality, and relationships in an open and honest discussion. I enjoyed this aspect of the play because I felt that it allowed the audience to fully appreciate the acting skills of the actresses'.
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Acceptance Essays
