Looking for stories for a “feminist” play I am writing please tell me your story. A little about me, I am former UC Merced student and will be transferring to Southern Utah U for my major.  At UC Merced I became every involved with the women’s group on campus and got amazing life experiences out of that.  I was in the play the “Vagina Monologues” for two years. The first year, my thought was “Oh God, the play is just a bunch of women characters bitching.” But as the play and actresses evolved we all began to see that we all had deep connections to the characters – they stories were our own secret stories – things we had longed to say for years, not only to say but to connect with other women going thru the same things in silence. 

 

By the second year, I wrote my own monologue to share. It was a passionate, heart-breaking labor of love to finally put into words a recap of my abusive relationship and rape in high school. But when I was faced with the fact the 1 in 4 women will be raped by the time they graduate, I could be silence any longer. My biggest fear was if I didn’t say anything, if I didn’t perform my monologue then I would willingly be letting other girls unknowingly go through the same thing and those that had already experienced it I would be keeping them quiet.  It was the hardest thing to do, to speak to 800+ strangers about the most embarrassing, scary, and horrifyingly lonely period in my life. But a funny thing happened.

 

When I shared my story, women and girls would come up to me later lone and share theirs.  I was no longer alone and neither were they.  The stories ranged of course, about their friends, family members, loved one, themselves, about rape, or abuse, or falling in love, finding happiness, becoming pregnant, getting married, fighting the man and never becoming that traditional house wife, being a stay at home mother and loving it, etc.  All these stories had the same theme and that is what makes a woman? What or who makes her stronger, better, harder; both good and bad experiences play into this and that is where you come in. 

 

I am writing a play about women’s stories.  The basis for the play is a graduate student is putting on a poetry slam which all the campus and community is invited to.  The only detail about the poetry slam is that it is a “feminist” poetry slam. Which raises some flags for some of the community and at the slam only 12/13 people show up.  But they all have different back-stories and those emotions fill their poetry.  Though I have heard many, many stories I still would love more input, stories, and emotions to pour into this new labor of love.  Below is a list of the characters and their rough draft backgrounds, if you have stories or ideas about their character needs/traits/poetry/personality please let me know. All the stories and honesty mean so much to me and thank you for your time!

 

Cass- 23/f – grad student of gender studies and is putting on/ hosting this slam

 

Maggie- 75/f – Has been a part of the women’s movement from the beginning. Her mother was a large supporter and leader in the women’s suffrage movement in the 1920’s. She has lived thru women’s right to work, the change in the stay at home mom and the working girl, the sexual revolution, the gay and lesbian movement, sex workers right movement, and such. Her poem is about her reflection on the movement and what feminism means to her.

 

Christian - 26/m- He was engaged at one point to the love of his life. She was four months pregnant when she lost the baby from natural causes.  She ended up leaving him after that because it was just too hard to bear. His poem is about him waiting in the waiting room at the abortion clinic and the feelings he is going thru and the looking around the room at the other women and couples that are there.

 

Bridgett- 15/f – Goth girl.  At first meeting of this young girl, she is hyper and crazy while trying to be dark and mysterious. Her poem is an average dark emotional, yet trying to be “non-emotional” poem that makes little sense at first.  But as the slam goes on she begins to show that already at 15 she has little self-worth. She is so concerned with trying to keep up with the medias depiction of fashion, style, fame and beauty that she has lost herself. She has had weigh issues, been a cutter, drugs and been sexual active at 15 years old. 

 

“Rose” – 28/f – she is a semi-retired prostitute and is a close friend of Cass. She started prostituting at the age of 17, and has caught several STDs in the years.  At first she really enjoyed her job, she enjoyed meaning the men and giving them a good time. But things changed at sometime in her mid 20’s and she wasn’t doing it for pleasure anymore and got heavy into drugs. She finally told her family she needed help and went to rehab. She now works in a salon giving makeover and facials and though the drugs and her mid 20’s were bad. She still is an advocate for sex worker’s rights, feeling that the girls that do want to be in this business should have a safe place of business. Her poem is about her life as a prostitute and how she is helping now.

 

Vikki- 23/f – is very open sexually and open about herself.  Some of the things she says would make your jaw drop!!! But even though she sounds like she has had sex with everyone and their brother, her first sexual experience was at 22. She was worried in high school that all her friends had had sex before her and she was the odd man out. But she was able to wait to lose her virginity to a man that just overwhelmed her with love and trust, spirituality of body and soul.  And how she high school friends are now jealous that they didn’t wait for someone worth loving and being with.  Her poem is about losing her virginity and being sexuality open with someone else. 

 

Daniel – 22/m – he is the boyfriend of Vikki, and walks into the slam unexpectedly, thinking that it was over and he was going to give Vikki a ride home.  He is surprised to see all the women and men stare at him, but Vikki and Cass ask him to stay and listen to the reading.  After hearing a piece about abuse and rape, he gets awkwardly emotional and asks to share a story. He tells the group about when he was 16 at a high school party at a friend’s house when he almost walked in on his best friend at the time raping a girl and he didn’t have the guts to do anything. This is story that he has never told anyone.

 

Laura- 22/f- was in love with her first boyfriend at the age of 14.  The abuse started slow at first, she didn’t even know what was happening. She was too deep.  By 15, she was pregnant and excited, when she told him. He pushed her down a flight of stairs and she lost the baby.  But she stayed with him. At 17 she was pregnant again and had abortion, she wasn’t in contact with him for three days after that, because she was in pain. By the time she went back to him she was beat up and sent to the hospital it was so bad.  When she went to college, it was her female college roommate that helped her out of the situation and who she fell in love with. Her poem is about that, the intense abuse, and getting away from it.

 

Ruth – 34/f – starts out in an “everyone is against me” mood.  She is married and has 3 children and has been a stay-at-home-mother all her life.  She believes in equal rights, but thinks feminist is died.  She feels that the other women in the group will look down on her for choosing family over career or education but wants to make her point known that she is happy.  Her poem is about her angry at raging feminist, and how she is proud of her path, the enjoy of getting married, of being a huge part in her children’s life and supporting her family. 

 

Marty – 45/f- Her story is the ying to Bridgett’s yang.  She is 45 and is starting to show her age. When she was younger, she was one of the prettiest girls in the county and was a fashion show finalist. Now her hair is getting gray, she has noticed how men look at her less and less, and so on.  But her poem is about reflection and how she is happy with her body and looks. That she is welcoming the changes and not fighting them.  That she is against Botox and face lefts and true beauty comes with grace and time. 

 

Jennifer – 25/f – She met her husband sophomore year of college and got married at 21. She has two kids and finished college at the same time. Her last son was born only 5 months ago and her poem is about giving birth and bringing new life into the world. 

 

Amy- 24/f  -  Amy is a Sailor’s girl.  Her poem is about living with the pride and the worry of loving a solder.  He has been in the Navy for 3 years and has 3 more to go.