CnC Productions of Orlando Florida presented the Vagina Monologues at the Orlando International Fringe Festival. The intimate stage at Ten10 Brewing was filled with a phalanx 0f female performers. Each woman in turn got up to relate their bold and unapologetic story about their vaginas. Eve Ensler’s script took various interviews into monologues that are read aloud by the large, cast of women.
One woman related a story of how her man insisted that she shave downstairs and how itchy and uncomfortable that was. Each testimony was honest an sincere. Women are often taught to hide their monthly cycle. If men experienced the same thing each month you can bet that they would be very vocal about the experience. But the patriarchy insists that women pretend that nothing is happening.
On woman was a sexual coach and she recreated the sounds that woman make as they near orgasm. She was hilarious. If you take Meg Ryan’s diner scene from When Harry Met Sally and multiply that scene times 10 you, might get a sense of how funny and endearing the performance was. She recreated the faint breaths and squeaks to the guttural moans that verge on shouting.
The production felt like it was empowering for the performers and woman in general. Sexuality should be celebrated rather than hidden away. Though not technically a comedy, this show had me laughing the loudest of any production I saw at the Fringe. Though the monologues might have been from interviews with different woman, the rapport among the cast and the way each reader embraced their lines made it clear the feeling expressed were universal. When given the freedom to do so, every woman loves to talk about their vaginas. It is just that no one ever asked before.
I saw a black tee shirt with white lettering all over the fringe with descriptors of, Kitty Meow Meow, Lady Garden, Pink Taco, Cootchie, Va Jay Jay, and more. The Splash Awards allow the local LGBTQ+ community to vote for their favorite shows, directors, and performers. The Splash awards gave an award for Best Supporting Actor, Xoey Dillman-Giewont, Best Director, Lady James Dillman, and the Best Show, The Vagina Monologues.
The staged reading benefited One Heart Women and Children.
I give the show 10 out of 10 vaginas.