8/13/2019 Mono Revs

1/3

Monolouges

Reviews

Vibewire ReviewLian Low

05 May 05

Monologuesis a series of theatrical vignettes presented through a mix of

movement, dance, comedy and tragedy, which explores some of the various

socio-economic roles played by Asian women. These include the roles of wife,

mother, daughter and sex worker.

Milking Madam Butterfly (Yet Again),performed by Shireen Morris, calls into

question the role of opera heroines !sing a "rechtian style of theatre, the

dramatisation of the role includes a mi# n$ match of Madame "utterfly, a tal% show

host and an actor&playing&Madame "utterfly&becoming&impassioned&narrator

'n Virgin Sale, Shireen Morris, (aori )amamoto and *anette )oe inhabit the

characters of three prostitutes The story is a potent exploration of young girls who

are sold into prostitution by their parents. The scripting is compelling and gives

shape to the heartbreaking lives of these prostitutes.

' found the sub+ect matter of Woman on Top fascinating, particularly when compared

to the content of the otherMonologuesperformances (athleen "aguio who plays the

rime Minister$s wife, resplendent in an eye&catching emerald dress, gives a

remar%able performance "aguio embodies her character believably, and leaves her

audience wondering +ust how many rime Minister$s wives sacrifice se# and love for

power

S.S.S. etired !rostitute, in contrast to Woman on Top, is a vignette about another

type of woman in power *anette )oe plays a retired prostitute, who by the age of -.

had slept with /,000 men 'n theatrical white, symbolising age and wisdom, the retired

prostitute offers insights into the characteristics men loo% for in sian women 1

2SSS$ or 2Small, Se#y, Subservient$ )oe gives a graceful and sumptuous

performance of this retired prostitute, now in control of her life

Arri"eder#i Tokyo offers a hilarious tale of an 'talian woman married to a *apanese

man 3ultural differences are played out symbolically through food 4he 'talian wife

bemoans the blandness of *apanese food 1 steamed not fried & and the over&proliferation of soy sauce iana Stathis, as the 'talian wife, gives a raw and sensual

performance and a comic highlight to the overall production

6ot unli%eArri"eder#i Tokyo,!risoner of Soy Sau#e, offers another ta%e on cultural

difference and food 4his time, it is the 2wisdom of sia in *apanese food$ Mi%i

7i%awa masterfully commands the roles of both the *apanese housewife and the

ustralian husband s the hysterical *apanese housewife, she leaves us in no doubt

as to who the real master of the house is 1 she is no 2docile oriental woman$ s the

pre+udicial ustralian husband, we are provided with an insight into the origins of his

opinions & his grandfather during the war believed that all goo%s were savages and

uncivilised While the husbands ultimate change in character is somewhat

unconvincing, the comic ending is priceless, as the apanese housewife succeedsin turning her husband into a !docile western man " a prisoner of soy sauce.

8/13/2019 Mono Revs

2/3

T$e %o&ry is the tragic tale of an arranged marriage in 'ndia, performed by Mandy

Sebasio&7ng, Shireen Morris and aniela Lucchetti 4he story is of an 'ndian woman

bound by tradition to her parents, her husband and her husband$s family 4he story

s%etches the poignant and cruel fate of a woman at the mercy of her abusive husband

4hough it is powerful, ' felt that some parts of the dramatisation and characterisation

of the roles were lac%ing in comparison to the other vignettes in Monologues.

'apanese Medea is the story of a *apanese woman and her husband, who are sent to

San 8rancisco to wor% 4he story is one of a highly educated woman who, in a

loveless marriage, has borne two children from 2two impersonal humpings$ )er

isolation from her husband and loneliness in San 8rancisco, results in 2madness$, and

imports tragic consequences Mi%i 7i%awa as the *apanese Medea gives a riveting

performance filled with pathos, which is sustained throughout

s a young sian woman, ' am constantly loo%ing for representations that spea% to

me 'nMonologues, ' was drawn into the stories of these women s writer9director,

sa :im alomera says in her introduction before the performance, the issues

e#plored are not only sian women$s issues, they are universally relevant insightsthat translate across genders and cultures

The Good:#rilliant scripting, powerful stories, beautiful costumes and some

unforgettable performances.

The Bad:$ome of the performances and characterisations border on caricatures.

The Vibe:An important piece of theatre that offers powerful stories drawn from

research undertaken by the writer%director, in collaboration with &'($)* and

&'+)(.

4he ge)elen 4homson

May /nd /005

4his production by the ;omen of sia 3ompany has a long collaborative history

4he eight female performers together represent a %aleidoscope of sian female

e#perience, their own racial origins as varied as the material they present

4here is an interesting contrast between the liberated performers themselves and the

female predicaments they depict in their monologues 4here are moments when it

seems as though sian women, stereotyped as

8/13/2019 Mono Revs

3/3

parent=s house are borne of our bonesqually heart&rending is T$e %o&ry,a story of an 'ndian arranged marriage suffered

by the young wife at the hands of her mother&in&law 4his monologue, and the two

about prostitution, highlight one of the show=s most significant themes 4his is the partplayed by other women in the enslavement of girls, often to brutal male se#ual

fantasies

't is not all grim, however 4here is one funny episode of a multi&racial culinary clash?

Arri"eder#i Tokyo.4old by the 'talian wife of a *apanese man, it describes her

frustration at facing what seems to her a starvation diet of fish and rice 4he same

%ind of struggle goes on between a *apanese wife and her ustralian husband in

!risoner of Soy Sau#e,but here the feisty woman is clearly winning the battle

4he show ends with'apanese Medea,a tragic tale of the sacrifice of two children and

the failure of a loveless arranged marriage

This is altogether engaging, beautifully performed and thought-provoking work.