[NEohioPAL]POIGNANT VAGINA MONOLOGUES AT OHIO THEATRE

[Roy Berko]

VAGINA MONOLOGUES POIGNANT, FUNNY, THOUGHT PROVOKING

Roy Berko
(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--The Times Newspapers-- 
Lorain County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News
Times-Olmsted-Fairview Times



Many plays entertain.  Others make important social
psychological points.  Still others  help bring about
change.  Eve Ensler's THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES does all
of those.  The most important side-journey for the
play has been the establishment of  V-Day, a
non-profit organization that has raised over five
million dollars to be used in stopping violence
against women. 

The play is a series of first-person vignettes, some
hilarious, others heartbreaking, which illuminate
women's lives.  Ensler said she was inspired to write
THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES after being shocked by how a
friend described her body in a discussion on
menopause. Drawing on more than 200 interviews, Ensler
chronicled how women felt about their intimate anatomy
and turned these narratives into "poetry for the
theater." 

"Let's just start with the word 'vagina,'" the first
monologue begins. "It sounds like an infection at
best, maybe a medical instrument: "Hurry, Nurse, bring
me the vagina." It doesn't matter how many times you
say it, it never sounds like a word you want to say.
It's a totally ridiculous, completely unsexy word."   

As the narration continue sthe audience quickly
realizes that they are laughing but sometimes through
tears.  Some parts of the script are humorous such as
when an actress moans the various types of
climaxes...the Aretha Franklin moan, the baby moan,
the Southern Woman moan, and the machine gun moan. 
Other parts are disturbing, such as a Bosnian refugee
recounting the horrors of rape in war. "Not since the
soldiers put a long thick rifle inside me," the
passage states. "So cold, the steel rod canceling my
heart. Don't know whether they're going to fire it or
shove it through my spinning brain." 

Is the material intentionally sexual?  Is it meant to
titillate and offend for the sake of selling theatre
tickets?  No, it is an attempt to make the female
human body a reality, not something of which to be
ashamed.  It is meant to talk about the problems of
women in a non-secretive way.    Does that mean it
will not offend some?  The narrow minded, those who
don’t understand that the words are words which
express ideas and physical sensations, will probably
walk out.  Several did on opening night.  Too bad,
they probably were the ones that needed to hear the
message.

The production concept is simple.  There are three
women, sitting on stools, dressed in nondescript
clothing, reading their lines with the use of note
cards.   The importance of THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES is
what is said, not how it is performed.  That’s not to
say that the cast is not excellent, it is.  We just
don’t need sets, costumes and special lighting to make
the point...the dialogue does it all.

The Cleveland performance features Margot Kidder from
August 13th to 18th. Dee Perry of National Public
Radio’s Cleveland affiliate WCPN-FM will step in for
the remainder of the run.  Kidder is probably best
known for her Lois Lane role in the SUPERMAN films
which starred Christopher Reeve. Kidder uses her husky
voice and facial expressions well.  She ad libs to
late enterers, the men in the audience, and responds
humorously to the concept of having sex with Superman,
the man of steel!  Also appearing in the show are New
York actors Starla Benford and Kristen Lee Kelley, the
touring production anchors who are both very
proficient and obviously emotionally involved in the
production.

THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES is an important play to see and
experience, whether you are a female or male.  Its
message is universal.    And, by the way, if you want
a reverse version of this production watch out for MY
JOHNSON SPEAKS! by Dave Goodman, a celebration of
maleness, which is supposedly a hysterical male answer
to THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES and may soon be presented at
a local theatre.

THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES will run Tuesday through Friday
at 8 PM, Saturdays at 5 and 8 PM and Sundays at 3 and
7 PM.  Ticket prices are $50-$30.  It is presented by
The Araca Group (operated by the Cleveland area’s own
Matthew Rego, Michael Rego and Hank Unger), the
Playhouse Square Center, Continental Airlines and the
Ohio Arts Council.  

For tickets stop at the Playhouse Square Center box
office, call 216-241-6000, go online at
www.playhousesquare.com or go to tickets.com outlets.


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