It's a word I don't say frequently, so I thought it best we get it out in the open before we go any further.
Vagina.
Just saying those consonants and vowels has the power to make grown, surly men blush and squirm. The scientific term compels old ladies to purse their lips and shake their heads in disapproval and little boys to grow wild and manic and full of giddy, taunting contempt for the "fairer sex."
Vagina.
Like I said, it's not a word I say frequently, so even I need some getting used to seeing the word splayed out there for all the world to see.
I became intimately familiar with vagina, actually many of them, thanks to the most recent show put on by Falcon Theatre in Newport.
The Vagina Monologues is a deep exploration in the many feelings women experience in connection with their most special, secret, private, personal part of their anatomy. The seven performers share a variety of scenarios related to their womanhood - first orgasms, self discovery, rape, lesbianism, love and sex. The play also covers the many words society uses in place of the V Word and the collection of emotions women encounter when they have their first period.
For the faint of heart - this is not.
The company does a good job of holding the audience's hand - letting us ease in to the subject matter, because let's be frank, this isn't dinner party conversation for most folks.
We laugh. We empathize. Bits of anger bubble in our blood and then we are rewarded with a moment that makes us reflect on our own experiences - and we discover we are more alike than we realize.
The most surprising moment of the evening was when one actor roused the audience (including Yours Truly) to begin yelling out the C Word with reckless abandon.
I typically don't say the C Word - but I made an exception in this case, as it was a moment of audience participation and a polite way to affirm the actor's performance.
Whether you are a bra burner, a white gloves-and-pearls kind of lady or a man born with that other body part, I suggest you give The Vagina Monologues a chance.
Because whether you are a woman or a man, chances are you love your body - or someone else's.
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The Falcon Theatre will perform The Vagina Monologues at the Monmouth Theater at 636 Monmouth in Newport June 12, 13, 19, and 20 at 8 pm. Tickets $15, $12 for students and seniors. You can make a reservation or buy tickets online.
Kate's Random Musings by Kate the Great is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
1 comment:
I have enjoyed the Vagina Monologues in past. It is kind of hilarious how controversial the word is. So what is the big deal anyway? Every woman needs a happy Vagina.
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