Conversations 'Bout the Girls
An episodic play written by actress, writer, producer Sonia Jackson, Conversations ‘Bout the Girls examines a woman's relationship with her breasts and how that relationship is changed by the world around her. The production is an engaging blend of stories about the changes that women experience throughout their lives, woven together to reveal the feminine mystique.
Hilarious and heartbreaking, the stories are touching, embarrassing and moving experiences designed to give the audience a greater understanding of what it is to be a woman. Conversations ‘Bout the Girls debuted at The Hayworth Theater in Los Angeles, California in 2005. Jackson was a part of the original ensemble cast which also included Angela Bennett, Lydia Blanco, Eugenia I. Care, Karen Lew, Esther “Tita” Mercado, Noemi Torres and Cynthia Vincent. A book based on the play was published in 2013.
Plot summary[edit]
Through its series of intimate, personal stories, Conversations ‘Bout the Girls takes us on the shared journey of the physical and emotional transformation of the female gender from little girls to young ladies to women.
Cast[edit]
Cast to reflect a diverse world of women both ethnically and physically, with a range of ages, sizes, weights, hues and shapes, Conversations ‘Bout the Girls unveils the mysterious, sometimes misunderstood, and often controversial realm of women’s bodies and body images. When presenting a full production of Conversations ‘Bout the Girls, the show utilizes eight to ten actresses with each assigned a monologue for which she is the main storyteller. The actresses also take part in other monologues as a supplemental storyteller or as supporting characters with performances ranging from comedic to dramatic. Because of its episodic nature, segments of the play can be selected to create a running time anywhere from 15 to 90 minutes or longer.
Monologues[edit]
A sampling of the monologues include:
- A Rose by Any Other Name is a discussion of the many names women’s breasts are called.
- My First Bra, No, My Second is a humorous account of a young girl’s purchase of her first bra.
- To Cleave or Not to Cleave is a compilation of women’s experiences with their cleavages.
- The Lump a woman’s inner story of finding a lump.
- Blooming tells the tale of how the women’s breasts began to develop.
- Tell Me About Nipples is a story about how nipples “tell all” without saying a word.
- One Step at a Time chronicles a woman’s journey through breast cancer.
- Nursing is a Whole Other Thing features several monologues from women about their true feelings about nursing.
- She’s So Sweet tells the story of a young woman who initially rejects her "sweetness", but grows to appreciate it.
- She Didn't Tell Me is the story of a young woman whose mother hid her fatal condition.
- What Do I Say? as a cancer survivor to the new guy she's dating.
History[edit]
Sonia Jackson wrote Conversations ‘Bout the Girls on the heels of her performance in The Vagina Monologues in 2004. Having witnessed her mother’s journey through breast cancer at age seven, she realized how powerful a play about the breasts could be for healing and understanding. There are so many issues women have around the breasts and their bodies in general. Everyone talks about them. There is not a show on TV that does not have an episode about them. Everyone has an experience of some sort with them. She notes that she had many stories about her own experiences, but knew they did not cover everything so she set off to research, create and conduct interviews with women about their experiences. The result is a powerful exposé about how women feel about their breasts and how their worlds are impacted by societal responses to women’s breasts.
Conversations ‘Bout the Girls has since been produced in Los Angeles, CA at The Hayworth (2005) and The McCadden Place Theatre (2006), The Aloha Center, Kono, HI (2008), The Creative Living Fellowship, Phoenix, AZ (2009), the Greenway Court Theatre, Los Angeles, CA (2013), the First Existentialist Congregation of Atlanta in Atlanta, GA (2014) and the Electric Lodge, Los Angeles, CA (2015). A portion of the proceeds from each production is donated to a charitable organization that supports women and their unique needs. Some of the beneficiaries have included: The Los Angeles County Affiliate of Susan G. Komen, Susan G. Komen Greater Atlanta Affiliate, the Jewell McFarland Lewis – Fresh Start Women’s Resource, Step Up Women's Network Los Angeles, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Operation Special Delivery and Women of Color Breast Cancer Survivor’s Network. A film documentary is being planned around the LA production.
Critical Acclaim[edit]
“a provocative play that is quite delightful...” LA Examiner
“A figurative breast examination of sorts takes place live on stage when Sonia Jackson's provocative and multi-faceted play...” The Pasadena Journal
“XYZ” Atlanta Journal-Constitution [1]
References[edit]
External links[edit]
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