Theatre
The Vagina Monologues
Palazzo Pereira

It is a sad reality that in this day and age, women should still be fighting for recognition of equal rights at the workplace as well as civic society, but what is at least encouraging is the fact that thanks to social media and several worldwide and local initiatives, awareness has increased greatly and a strong dialogue is taking place.

This month, the AZAD foundation has organised a series of events entitled Mara – Perspettivi held at Palazzo Pereira, a newly opened performance and exhibition space in Valletta, centred around Women’s Day and extending beyond it to the rest of the month (March 5-22) to celebrate women in their various forms of representation. The theatre segment was, appropriately enough, a series of performances of The Vagina Monologues, left in the able hands of director Nanette Brimmer.

Appropriately chosen, the performance piece has not had a run in Malta for several years, and has changed over time to represent, not the shock value it had when it first premiered – for being risqué, and addressing issues surrounding the female anatomy, but has moved on to symbolise a genuine engagement with that which makes one truly a woman and beyond. A woman may be defined by her anatomy but she is so much more than that too. Originally written by Eve Ensler in 1996, the monologues were interpreted in this current version by Julia Calvert, Paula Fleri-Soler, Nicky Schembri, Faye Paris and Steffi Thake. The monologues run a gamut of observations and experiences which women have about their vaginas and what they in fact extend to and represent in the world at large.

From sex and sexuality to love and rape, FGM, masturbation, names and even medical issues, the monologues keep getting updated to include current events.

All five ladies involved gave great interpretations of their respective monologues, with some individual stand-out performances which ranged from the poignant to the hilarious.

The monologues keep getting updates to include current events

Calvert’s two most powerful performances were centred around war crimes and rape committed against women in Bosnia, My Vagina Was My Village and the oppressive state in which women were kept by the Taliban in Under the Burqa, an additional monologue which was written in 2003 about their loss of identity and anonymity. In them, she managed to portray the pain which thousands of women go through because of their gender and vulnerable position in a misogynistic society, giving them grace and a voice which they certainly require – because we tend to ignore what does not affect us directly.

On the other end of the scale was her funny rendition of what a triple orgasm sounded like: a bit like the one in When Harry Met Sally, but on steroids. Schembri’s The Woman who Loved to Make Vaginas Happy looks at a sex worker who takes pleasure and a sense of empowerment from knowing that she can help others achieve what they had found very hard to do on their own, criticising the taboo that surrounds women’s genitalia and reminding the audience that there is nothing wrong with enjoying and knowing your body and indeed, the same can be said for Paris’s interpretation of Because He Liked To Look At It – where a woman at the other end of the spectrum describes her experience with a man who actually knew what he was doing.

Both these monologues came across as genuine, heartfelt and funny in the way only reality tends to be and both Paris and Schembri brought their very subtle sense of fun into the mix and made good use of the scope for facial expression and cheeky wit.

Finally, in two monologues which I can only define as brilliantly witty rants, Fleri-Soler and Thake, interpreted My Angry Vagina and My Short Skirt respectively. Fleri-Soler’s great comic timing and forthright manner was very well-matched with her complaints about the mundane discomforts which women suffer from; while Thake’s only monologue, in which she storms on stage wearing a bright red, short dress, contrasting with the black attire of the rest and strongly tells the audience that her short skirt is nobody’s business but her own: taking female empowerment with a raised fist and a steely look in her eye.

The Vagina Monologues were an entertaining and a very good reminder of the everyday struggles which all women have to face and which they do with dignity, goodwill and humour every day of their lives.

• The Vagina Monologues will again be staged at Palazzo Pereira on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 8pm.