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Saturday, March 18, 2006 - 1:14 PM
If your vagina, what would you say?
That's the whole concept of Eve Ensler's Vagina Monologues, a book that contains interviews of women about their sexuality. The book was adapted and translated into Filipino and was staged in the Dalisay Aldalba Hall in the University of the Philippines, presented by Gabriela-Youth in cooperation with UP Repertory Company for the celebration of the National Women's month.
The actors, three women, got the attention of the viewers with a comic presentation of the different names people all over the world call the vagina.
Aside from the initial shock that one gets with the frequent usage of the hushed up term which is the female genitals, the audience is soon on the edge of their seats and indulging themselves on the subject that one doesn't actually talk about everyday.
With the skillful use of lighting, the actresses clearly gave the message through monologues. They have made the audience realize that women have been and are still being suppressed all over the world, what with the 600, 000 sex workers and the disturbing medical procedures and equipments. 'Galit ang puki ko!' one actress gave a message that was hardly being noticed by the public, or hardly being talked about. The play ended with a full description of the beauty and the hardship of birth giving.
The production is not about vulgarity. It is empowering and entertaining. It does not only inform men about women, women also learn more about themselves. It is not purely moral; it also talks about women's sexual aspect, which is just as important as the former.
I, for one, cannot forget the monologue about a woman who was raped during war. How her puerta was mocked. My colleagues find the part about the woman who wants to make vaginas happy. "Natutuwa ako sa malakas, kagila-gilalas na halinghing. Ito ay mala-operang awit at ako ang kondultor".
Call it however you want to. Pooky. Kepyas. Puday. The Vagina Monologues gives us a message. It is not bad for us to just say it, disregard the fallacies and mores. Say it out loud. PUKI.
ehjiboi got weird at 1:14 PM
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