Eve Ensler, acclaimed author of the Vagina Monologues, is in South Africa enthralling audiences and feminists across the country with our very own Mzanzi-favoured play: workshopped by South African actors and drawing on themes from around the world. Since the start of its two week-long run, I am an Emotional Creature: The Secret Lives of Girls Around the World has played out to packed theaters — of mostly women. We managed to track down a lone audience member in possession of a Y-chromosome and asked him his views of the feminine love fest on stage.
Are you familiar with Ensler’s work?
Well, I’ve heard the word’s “Vagina Monologues” before because I think the play was in Cape Town some years back— and a friend of mine performed. I think I picked up that it was about women talking about their vaginas. Being a bit shy (and a bit younger then I am now), I never made it to those plays.
So what — or who — made you watch the play?
Um [laughs] No one, actually. An invite for an interview with Ensler by Karabo Kgoleng arrived in my inbox and I’m always interested in those sort of events. Eve told some moving stories and Karabo was very honest. There was also a short preview performance, which was incredible, so that kind of got me interested in seeing the whole play.
What were you expecting?
That’s an easy question, I was expecting some seriously uneasy moments and an intense focus on the real world out there— but through the eyes (and, I guess, hips) of women.
And your thoughts having watched it?
The play was so saturated with emotion and intensity and everything girl or young-woman. Toward the end there was a line that went, “Everything is intense to me” and, “You don’t tell the ocean to behave.” In some way it became the identity-anthem of being a woman. So, I felt like I was stranded on planet Eve Ensler, a place where only woman exist. But then, this feeling also made no sense because all the horror and pain that was being expressed was because of the existence of men. It was tough and there were many layers.
Is the play “fair” on men? Or do they get more blame than you think they deserve?
It would be good to get some other view points (and I hope people comment!), but I think I’ve started answering this elsewhere. Directly: I think the play falls short because men are not brought into the solution or positioned as leaders or even lovers of woman, prepared to do their utmost. However, the scary reality is that the play is fair and justified because almost all abuse and exclusion is an outcome of who men are and what men do or don’t do. Men deserve to stop and think… it’s pretty hectic.
Was it too heavy? All oppression, patriarchy and feeling fat, or were there some lighter moments?
There were some light moments, when the gang of girls paused their monologues to share some typical girl moments with each other. That was entertaining. But the major theme was suffering, and pain was present in every other moment, from the stories of bullying on the school playground to the nine rules of sex slave survival, which was told with gut-wrenching passion.
The experience was heavy and even extreme — going completely nuts at times. One vindictive girl can’t take it any more, so she turns up the volume of some punk-rock angst music and blows her body apart — all over her parents and the white wedding dress she’s been dreaming around in.
At the end I felt the hope or resolution presented was not strong or even evident — the girls chanted who they where and that they were “refuse-ers”. I was thinking: “Where are the real men?” or “How do these creatures fit into their communities?” It kind of ended in an emotionally-drugged dance party and I was not left with any vision or a sense of how things could change.
Was it well executed at least?
Without falter or question I would say it featured flawless performances with such a real and heartfelt delivery. The script is crafted excellently, telling gripping stories with intensity, complexity and living colour — the different performers were orchestrated as a group of friends facing life together.
Who do you think should watch it?
The youth of all ages — both men and woman. Youth from high-school to young-adult, because these people are still figuring out the direction of their lives and they are close to the street level of what is happening. So, the play would have a positive and even inspiring effect.
And who shouldn’t touch it with a ten-foot pole?
I think the play is quite accessible and digestible— I guess the people that would not touch it know who they are — they walk around with those ten-foot poles.
I am an Emotional Creature: The Secret Lives of Girls Around the World is showing at the Market Theatre Laboratory in Newtown, Johannesburg until July 29.