Monolouges: The Vagina Monolouges

This collection of monolouges is a powerful body of work that spans a variety of issues relating to gender, sexism, and male domination. Unlike the The Laramie Project, where most of the monolouges felt solicited and provoked by an interviewer, only "The Flood" interview alludeded to any other character than the one speaking. In both "Hair" and "Because He Like to Look at It" the character seems to be telling her story voluntary. The honest graphic descriptions are very effective in relaying the pain and struggle of each story, especially the images in "Hair." In "The Flood" the absent but alluded-to interviewer helps emphasize the generational gaps between elder and younger women, as well as emphasizing why the Vagina Monolouges are significant and important- that telling these stories are liberating. The use of the absent interviewer keeps the focus on the woman delivering the monolouge while at the same time emphasizing her growth.

Monolouges: The Laramie Project

The choice Moises Kaufman and the Members of Tectonic Theater Project to tell the story of Matthew Shepard through monolouges presents both gains and losses. Because the interviews conducted by the members of the Tectonic Theater occurred over a period of a year and a half, a great amount of development occurs for some of the characters over this time. For example, Jedadiah Schultz reflects on his changing perspective of homosexuality during this period through self-anaylsis. Each character telling their own story in their own voice helps to create a sense of place, painting a multi-dimenstional image of Laramie, Wyoming. We undertand how Laramie exists for the Mormon priest, for homosexual citizens, college students, and the workingclass. By allowing each character to present their specific story and response to life in Laramie, the multiple perspectives both defend and condem Laramie. These monolouges feel raw and honest, probably because of the varying voices.
Although these personal monolouges make the playwright feel more removed from the play at times, the inclusion of the members of the Tectonic Theater Project remind the reader (or viewer) of the relationships between members and Laramie citizens which inevitably influence what the citizens feel comfortable saying. Including the members as characters also adds to the convincing honesty of the monolouges because it reminds the audience that citizens were expecting their words to be repeated and this must be taken into account when hearing their stories. As the reader, I did not feel like the playwright was putting words into any of the characters mouths or forcing any of the characters to be someone who they were not in real life. I especially appreciated the way the playwright used the characters request to not condem Laramie, or relay the story of Matthew Shephard in any incorrect way- for example when Father Roger Schmit says "And I will speak with you, I will trust that if you write a play of this, that you say it right. You need to do your best to say it correct."
This play seemed less action driven and I am curious as to how it would translate on the stage. The director seems to have a great deal of liberties in how to include action on stage in order to not solely have actors speaking to the audience. Also there is minimal interaction between characters, other than in interview situations. I am also curious as to how this would translate to the stage in a cohesive manner. Although the subject matter of the play is incredibly thought provoking, engaging, and captivating, I'm not sure how the form and extensive use of monolouges and narrations would aid in engaging the audience to the fullest.