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The evening starts with a repetition of the word "vagina"...and stays its course.

Saturday May 05, 2001.     By Lila Stromer

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Apollo Theater (View theatre info)
2540 N. Lincoln Avenue
Chicago
Ticket Office: 773-935-6100
Ticketmaster: 312-902-1500
Open run (closed July 2003)
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As far as plays go, The Vagina Monologues has had a long life so far. It was originally produced in New York in 1996, which was followed by a national and worldwide tour, and in 1999 it began another successful run in New York, where it continues to be performed by a long line of name stars. However, The Vagina Monologues was originally performed by Eve Ensler, the woman who created the play. It is our honor that she has returned to perform in her creation.

The evening starts with a repetition of the word "vagina" - how does it sound, what does it sound like, is it an ugly word? It anesthetizes the audience to hearing past the word itself. For anyone in the audience who had any discomfort about the word, this allowed them to overcome it early in the evening. During dinner at a nearby restaurant, we mentioned to the waitress that we had tickets to see "the Monologues". The waitress, a woman in her early 20s, mentioned quietly that she was somewhat aghast when she saw the word "Vagina" was on the marquis. Ms. Ensler is very wise to get rid of this kind of slightly embarrassed discomfort so early in the evening.

Ms. Ensler tells us up-front that she interviewed a myriad assortment of women, and that these monologues came directly from these interviews. Before she begins a piece, she gives us a brief background on the woman; it makes the monologues more immediate and heartfelt. She doesn't "become" the women, but she inhabits their essence, their pain, their joy. We sense her strong ties to these women, even years after the interview. Her emotions are palpable.

At first I was concerned about a male-bashing attitude, but that was short-lived. Ms. Ensler is even-handed, and simply wants to share the emotions of being a woman. The evening is an amazing roller-coaster ride, with monologues that range from the joy of mutual sex to the rape camps of Bosnia. Ms. Ensler bravely honors women throughout the evening, whatever their experience or attitude. She has created an evening of riveting stories, touching stories, and very funny stories. She leads us on a carefully orchestrated evening so that all emotions counterbalance each other.

The atmosphere of the Apollo has been simplified to help the monologues take center stage. There is a red curtain behind her and she sits on a red and black stool. There is a simple black table next to her, to hold her water and some cards she holds. Ms. Ensler wears a simple black dress, and is barefoot. There are some lighting cues, to help with certain monologues. Everything works in tandem to make the monologues the centerpiece of the evening. The simple setting was designed by Loy Arcenas and the lighting design was by Beverly Emmons. Joe Mantello is the director.

The press packet claims that no one - woman or man - will ever look at the world the same way. I don't know about the world, but I do know that I have forever altered my opinion of my own sex. We are brave, funny, introverted, extroverted and our sexual organ deserves as much discussion and understanding as those of the oft-discussed male organ. Congratulations to Ms. Ensler for breaking ground wherever she performs her creation.

And congratulations to Ms. Ensler for creating V-Day, to be celebrated on Valentine's Day each year. By raising consciousness and money, she is spearheading a new awareness and laying the groundwork for educational, protective, and legislative endeavors for women throughout the world. Her play, Necessary Targets, was performed on Broadway to benefit Bosnian women refugees. Women helped create The Vagina Monologues, and in turn, Ms. Ensler is helping women create better lives for themselves. To find out more about V-Day, please call the Apollo Theater.