It’s an interesting time to be a feminist lately. Justin Trudeau calls himself one, and words like mansplaining are becoming common parlance. At the same time, single moms in Singapore are only just starting to get equal maternity leave, and the recent NUS orientation games debacle showed that the youth is still frightfully insensitive to issues of respect and consent.
It’s also a particularly great time to watch one of the most exciting feminist plays of the past two decades. Eve Ensler’s episodic play The Vagina Monologues is back in Singapore on Sep 13. Hosted by sexual awareness organization Lila Sutra, the format of this award-winning play sees real women with no acting experience prior commanding the stage to deliver various monologues that highlights sexual wellness issues to disrupt barriers, stigmas and taboos. Based on Ensler’s interviews with more than 200 women, this humorous but thought-provoking stage piece celebrates the strength and sexuality of women.
It’s been applauded and criticized by feminists around the world, with some saying that it has a “narrow and restrictive view of sexuality”. You’ll just have to catch it when it comes to Singapore and see it for yourself. This year’s run is directed by Sangeeta Nambiar, an entrepreneur who’s directed and written various shows in Singapore and staged plays like Emo! Singapore and The Silent Shadow. There’s also be a Q&A session with the director and cast after the play.
Tickets are priced at $35, via Peatix. A portion of the proceeds will go towards 30 days worth of menstrual hygiene kits for girls in Kenya via World Youth International.
