The Vagina Monologues is a play written by New York native, feminist, activist and performer, Eve Ensler. Since its premier in Ensler’s home city in 1996, women from different countries all over the world have performed their own adaptations. The five young women in this Ghanaian performance did an extraordinary job presenting the diverse selection of monologues dealing with the feminine experience. Each monologue tackles a specific issue such as love, sex, rape, menstruation, orgasm, birth, genital mutilation, female-male relations, and pretty much anything involving the vagina. The central theme of the piece is the importance of a woman’s vagina as a symbol of empowerment and individuality. Some women are shy about theirs, some are not shy at all, some have had wonderful sexual encounters, while still others have experienced grave trauma. All different types of women are represented in the script, and it attempts to address a vast array of controversial situations whether serious or funny. The cast chemistry was on point and each actress was fully committed to her role.
Some phrases and settings in the production had been changed to be more unique to the experiences of Ghanaian women. The actresses discussed Azonto music, the curvaceous body type, and interracial relationships, along with many other references. There was even a highlife musical act, performed by a man proclaiming his love and respect for women. Certainly, that aspect of the play could only have been found in a Ghanaian interpretation of the original. It added a very genuine dimension to the performance.
One of the scenes that really stood out was the one titled “Because He Liked to Look at It,” about how a woman comes to love and accept her vagina after a man had shown his intense appreciation for hers. He spends hours looking at it because of his belief that the vagina reveals a woman’s true beauty and essence. The sight of it was his main source of arousal. The young actress in the scene, Pearl Darkey, was a showstopper throughout the entire play, portraying a woman who was confident, sexy, powerful and self-loving. During the finale of the play Darkey even dropped into a split, as they took turns acting out the many ways that women express an orgasm. This triggered an uproarious round of applause and whooping from the crowd.
On a completely different note, the scene in which two actresses portrayed rape victims was extremely troubling. One of the actresses wore a white nightgown stained with blood, and the other had a head of unkempt hair and disheveled clothes. Their performances were heart wrenching, and brought attention to the realities of our world. Millions of women suffer everyday from abuse by their husbands, boyfriends, fathers, uncles, friends, and the list goes on. This scene was uncomfortable but necessary, so that people do not forget that we have to continue to promote and fight for the equal and just treatment of women. All in all, there was a good balance between fun and severe topics, culminating into one cohesive and fantastic show.
A Valentine’s Day evening at the theatre, watching The Vagina Monologues, was a perfect way to reflect on the importance of love for one another, and what a beautiful thing it is to be a woman.
By: Emily Barnard, AWDF Communications Intern