Vagina Monologues deliver touching show

By Jane Li     2/11/10 6:00pm

Interested in truly celebrating an anti-Valentine's Day this year? Well, there may be no better place for those against commercialized romanticism and repressed heterosexuality than at a performance of The Vagina Monologues in the McMurtry College Commons this weekend. This year's production, co-directed by Wiess College junior Jocelyn Wright and Wiess sophomore Matt Banks, fits the bill nicely. An unabashed tribute to sex, the female experience and reproductive anatomy, that enigma to men and women alike, The Vagina Monologues strings together a series of powerful stories with a good deal of humor and insight to create an altogether enjoyable show.

The Vagina Monologues has been in various forms of production since 1996. Its author, Eve Ensler, began the V-Day movement - worldwide performances of her play and other consciousness-raising events - to bring an end to violence against women and girls. The proceeds of this weekend's performances will benefit the Houston Area Women's Center, and the play begins with a touching remembrance of two recent Houston victims of domestic violence.

Though the play carries a serious message and purpose, it also ventures into more humorous territory. There are viscerally disturbing stories of rape and mutilation, but also light-hearted odes to embracing one's sexuality and the sheer variety and color of all the words for "vagina." The characters represent a wide spectrum of female experiences: a smattering of ages, races, nationalities and sexual orientations makes the stories in the show something that any woman can personally relate to.

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As a whole, the look of the play is strikingly cohesive. All of the costumes are unique takes on the overall theme of red and black, accentuated with some individualistic touches. Wright's and Banks' direction is low-key but fitting, and the quick, fluid transitions between scenes demonstrate the effort put into the production. The minimalist staging and lighting also work well to highlight the acting, which, at its best, is excellent and worth the price of admission.

Well-written characters become significantly more endearing and engaging through dedicated performances. Baker College senior Julia Lukomnik's wizened, elderly woman displays surprising depth in the telling of a long-past embarrassment. Sid Richardson College senior Liz Ericson's bitter-though-empowered divorcée finds wry humor in a failed relationship. Audiences will find it difficult to forget the uninhibited moans of Brown College senior Ekim Ekinci's sex worker or the colorful stories told in the Southern drawl of Wiess senior Sarah Cook's coochie snorcher lesbian.

Vagina Monologues "virgins" will undoubtedly hold fears of extreme feminists pleading with them to please, please, love your vagina. Thankfully, not only is this proselytizing kept to a minimum in the production, but most of the monologues are sweet, engaging, entertaining and extremely watchable.

Unfortunately, when more novice actors had to carry a scene, the dif

but ferences with the standout performances were palpable. Though these are serious subjects, taking oneself too seriously doesn't give the subject matter the sincerity it's due. Often, the most effective moments, whether in judging the play as entertainment or as an attempt to raise feminist awareness, were not the overly-acted performances but rather the genuine, even tongue-in-cheek, ones.

Professional renditions of The Vagina Monologues excel by casting actresses who fully embody their characters. Thus, it can be hard to ignore that college-aged girls, barely out of their teens, likely have not had all of the enlightening or painful experiences that are behind some of the monologues' anger or hurt or wisdom.

However, the play's positive attributes certainly outweigh its drawbacks. The production's message of female empowerment and sexual self-acceptance is one every young woman (and man) should hear. The message also does not come at the expense of an enjoyable viewing experience. Especially on Valentine's Day, more love and laughter is all that needs to be celebrated.

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