By Amy Van Veen (The Cascade) – Email
The “F” Word
Compiled and created by Four Muses Ensemble Theatre
Directed by Ali Shewan (UFV)
Running time: 60 minutes
Showings: Saturday 5:30 p.m.
Memorable lines: “Instead of being whole, we have holes.”
“‘Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you.’ Let’s take Seuss to heart; let’s take him to mind.”
“‘Boys will be boys’ is not an excuse.”
Content warning: coarse and violent language, partial nudity, sexual language.
Trigger Warning: rape, sexual abuse, discriminatory attitudes, body negativity.*
*All content is used with positive and respectful intent.
The “F” Word. What comes to mind?
Upon entering the theatre, someone amiably handed me a golf pencil and program. And when I opened the program, it was revealed which “F” word was going to be at the heart of it as every performer shared why they need feminism. That word that has garnered as much criticism as it has praise. The word people misunderstand, misjudge and misuse.
Four women, dressed in all black, prefaced their performance with an honest, respectful welcome – that combined with the open space at the back of the program for questions and comments gave me high hopes for what was to come.
The lights dimmed, the quote “Feminism is the radical notion that women are people” sat upon the back curtain and a masked woman emerged holding a mirror to the audience – the necessary mirror we all need to look in. Then four women stood in front of us, removed their masks and pulled tape off their mouths while “We will not be silenced” was written on the screen behind them.
As the packed performance went on, topics were covered from inaccurate sex education (like how boys can’t control their desires but girls must) to rape culture (where they showed actual news coverage of the two rapists who were victimized) to the difference between sex and gender (including a monologue by the only man in the ensemble).
The Four Muses Ensemble Theatre includes UFV students Alexandra Shewan (who also directed), Madison McArthur, Natasha Ray and Renee Reeve. The group was rounded out with professor Darren Blakeborough and all five of them were brilliant. The subject tackled is heavy at best – but it’s a necessary discourse that needs to be kept open. What made this play perfect was the juxtaposition of the harsh truths and moments of humour, of what our discourse should be and what it actually is. In one moment, the realities of sex trafficking are shared and in the next the audience is subject to the rant of an ignorant “anti-feminist”.
The “F” Word then finished with an all-too-helpful Q&A period where audience members were encouraged to ask anything in the safe, judgment-free zone. One audience member asked where the stories came from and director Shewan assured her and the rest of the audience that the play is a compilation of first-hand accounts from blogs and other true stories. She also offered additional sources for those who had more questions including the work of anti-pornography activist Gail Dines and a CBC documentary Sext Up Kids. Additionally, she shared their hopes of getting the play out into the public, sharing possible plans of bringing it to Vancouver in the summer.
The “F” Word is one of those plays everyone should see and with only one showing left in the festival, the demand will be high. The only recommendation I have is to get there early so you can grab a spot with a clear view of the back curtain in order to be able to read the quotes and watch the video clips.
It’s really no wonder this play got a rousing standing ovation and I truly cannot recommend it enough.
