Review-VDAY 2014
15-2-14
By: Dikshya Karki
V is for Vagina.
‘Vagina’ is a word that describes the essence of the female anatomy yet its mere pronunciation always stirs awkwardness. As if the organ exists in a different world, outside of the female body, alien to her and to everybody around her. But what if vaginas were more than a hidden, sexual parts? What if they spoke for themselves, about their anxieties and ecstasies? What if they shared their experiences with other vaginas? Their struggles would make more than an interesting tale; they would become testimonies of struggle for recognition.
‘The Vagina Monologues’ written by Eve Ensler and performed in the week of Valentine ’s Day all over the world, records the journeys of women as they discover their bodies. They fight against the stigma that is attached to the discussion about women’s sexuality by centering their stories on their vaginas. Following tradition, Hong Kong staged its own version yesterday at the Little Theatre Workshop in Wanchai.
Ten women performed the stories of vaginas that were testing, insightful and empowering. They spoke of self discovery, pain, rejection and redemption. Through the experience of other women who spoke of discovering their vaginas, they enacted their tales poignantly.
From dissecting the physicality of the vagina to sharing its pleasures, the 80 minute play offered a thoughtful showcase of women’s lives all over the world. The actors were prepared with their stories and spoke with ease and honesty.
Keren Chaukria set the mood of the play by the first piece which was ‘Hair’. Poetic yet natural, it acted as a base to build on the details of experiencing the first surge of passion to rejection. The incidents that were narrated had a clear resonance with the audience who were laughing or sighing along.
Being the story of an organ didn’t let the play lose its essence of discussing the socio-political and cultural meanings attached to the female body. It wasn’t comical to be laughed at and forgotten but came with a satirical tone. The exhilaration of listening to one’s own story told in the same words but from someone else’s life seems therapeutic to the audience. The women seemed to stand in solidarity with the stories while the men were absorbing the experiences.
The messages in these anecdotal pieces were held together by the thread of acceptance that bonded them. Lizzi Wood in ‘Because He Liked to Look At It’ captured that essence of acknowledgement from the other sex. Her piece defined vaginas as more than curious organs for both sexes. If the male kind decided to respect the differences in anatomy then the failings of relationships could naturally be avoided.
While through ‘My Vagina Was My Village,’ Sin Gwamanda brought in questions of history and torture. In ‘The Little Coochie Snorcher That Could’ Jennie Davies narrated a biography of discovery and the painful nature of doing so instigated sympathy from the audience.
The black box theatre experienced an adrenaline rush as Vanessa Noble performed ‘Reclaiming Cunt’ which was accelerated by Natalie Lund. Her powerful moans characterized the silenced existence of vaginas; it was their cries for acknowledgement that she manifested through her voice. Then the ending was wrapped up in a somber mood by Lisa Middleton who spoke of experiencing birth.
Although the pace of the play was not the same it did not cloud the larger aim of the play which was to clear out the discomfort regarding owning up to the word ‘vagina’. According to a United Nations report one in every three women in the world will have experienced some sort of sexual violence in her life time. 'The Vagina Monologues’ celebrated as part of the VDAY movement raises money to fight sexual violence against women. Through performances of personal experiences it hopes to create conversations about the female body devoid of unease regarding the ‘vagina’. An evening at the performance will not be a waste.
VDAY has now closed. For more information, click here.
Comments
No comment at the moment.