Vagina hits the stage and hits the spot

Sunday's performance of The Vagina Monologues was a surprise. Sure it dealt honestly with the most stigmatized part of the female body-shocking I know- but more surprisingly, it was good.

Stereotype or not, feminist theater has a bad reputation. Maybe too many performance artists have smeared blood all over themselves and then yelled about their sex lives. Maybe too many expect their performance's political content to make up for its lack of quality. Refreshingly, The Vagina Monologues didn't rely on anything but excellent writing and acting to propel its success.

Oberlin's production of Eve Ensler's Vagina Monologues is what feminist theater should be: well-produced, funny, affecting, engaging and powerful. It addressed issues including sexual abuse and sexuality with grace, sensitivity and humor. At the same time it celebrated women's bodies and experience, leaving the audience uplifted and empowered. Most triumphantly, it proved that women, and their vaginas, are worthy of creative discussion.

The show was based on Ensler's anthropological research, for which she interviewed close to 200 women about their vaginas. Instead of simply writing a book and calling it done, Ensler turned her research into a performance piece that has received critical acclaim while making its way around the country. The performance, like the research and book on which it is based, walks the line between politics and art; it negotiates politically charged content in a creative forum.

The performance was like a patchwork quilt. Held together by narration from Ensler's character about the interviews, most of the performance was comprised of short vignettes derived from individual interviews. The composition allowed the performance to be both fluid and fast-paced. No one vignette dominated the evening; instead they complimented and borrowed from each other.

Sitting in a semi-circle onstage each member of the cast adopted a different character as the evening progressed. Dressed in red (it was Valentine's Day after all), the 19-member cast showed surprising depth. Propelled by an outstanding script, most of the actresses were able to develop their characters within short monologues.

One strength of the performance was its scope, taking the audience on an emotional roller coaster. The voices were diverse, ranging from a middle-aged virgin to a sex worker, and ranged in both content and texture. While some commanded the audience's attention directly, others expressed the uncertainty and shame many women feel about their vaginas. Even within individual portions the stories were not simple or one-dimensional, proving that many women's sexual experiences are complex or contradictory.

There were several highlights in the show. English Professor Philys Gorfain did an excellent job as a middle-aged woman overcome with fear and shame about her sexuality. Her tale, at times light-hearted, was ultimately tragic.

Another particularly emotionally charged segment was when two actresses took the stage together. As one recounted her sexual awakening the other told of being raped in a Bosnian concentration camp. The juxtaposition amplified the two experiences.

Several other sections were stand-outs. Theater and Dance Professor Ann Cooper Albright commanded the audience's attention as she portrayed a sex worker who "loves to make women moan." Sophomore Molly Benson took on a sensitive and shy character who described her dissociation-and eventual reconciliation-with her vagina and sexuality. And senior Lisa Ward might have won a few converts to lesbianism with her potent descriptions of lesbian sex.

Overall the evening had virtually no weak links. Held together with a fast-paced script-overflowing with honesty-the performance was one of the best Oberlin has seen in recent years.

The name game: Senior Sarah Rooney lists common slang for vaginas in Sunday's Vagina Monologues. (photo by Areca Treon)