I got a chance to see this play for myself (The Comedy Store, Palladium Mall, Mumbai) last week. So along with one of my friends, I took a seat to see the first play of my life. Without going into the history of this play(which I would encourage the reader to check on his/her own), I shall merely be stating my personal view.
The first question which the lead asked us the audience was)-‘How many of you can openly say the word vagina?’ Of course, in a conservative set up within our country, lot of words are still considered taboo.
However, the play began soon after, with the cast consisting of four females in different age groups. The play consists of discussions or monologues related to interviews taken of women in varying age groups, nationalities, etc. Each discussion highlighted a particular theme.
Some of the issues which were dealt with included:
i) Sexual assault on women
ii) Child abuse
iii) Female genital mutilation
iv) Childbirth
v) Self awareness
The actors made very good use of humor to highlight relevant, social issues which are often brushed under the carpet, or blatantly ignored. The core message or theme of the play was women empowerment. Some people argue that the play is too feminist in nature, and that it criticizes men, or makes illogical comments, but I personally didn’t feel that way.
I think this is a good medium to provide awareness, along with entertainment. However, considering the price of the ticket, the audience will be from a selected group, but nevertheless it is an effort in the right direction. I could feel the mood changing within the audience, from a peak of intense laughter to a pin-drop silence, as the cast swiftly tossed their cards.
Of course, the play did feel like it dragged a bit(total length was roughly around one and a half hours), but overall, I was quite satisfied with the experience. The message conveyed to us was that every woman should learn to believe in herself, and that every man should learn to treat her as an equal. Being a feminist myself, I do agree with the central message.
Watch this play if you want to have a good laugh, and if you want to know what are some of the problems which women have to face everyday. You shall not be disappointed.
Just a statutory warning: The play is strictly for adults. Skip it if you cannot digest adult jokes, or words which might be too intense for you to bear.
My Rating: 8/10