I was privileged enough to find myself in the crowd of Slut, The Play at the Hammer Museum on April 28. The play was produced by Katie Capiello and Meg McInerney who founded The Arts Effect All-Girl Theater Company. I wasn't sure what I had gotten myself into, what the play was about or the nature of the production, but upon entering the theater I saw Tweets being projected with words like “bitch,” “slut” and “whore” bolded. I had a feeling this might be a play criticizing our blatant use of these degrading words to describe our fellow women, but it was so much more.
In a nutshell, the play put on display a girl’s experiences before and after a rape incident and
the overarching effects and stigmas that came with rape but also preceded
it. Before the incident, the main character, Joey, belonged to a squad of girls
who called themselves the Slut Squad in order to own their identities as
young ladies who wanted to have fun and avoid stigma for doing so. This
exhibited the issue of the word “slut” in our society. Whether girls define
themselves by it to avoid stigma, or not, it haunts them because of the way
“sluts” are perceived. This identity is what caused onlookers, after the
fact, see the rape as being her fault, because she was “asking for it.”
Another issue
the play brings up is being a witness and not saying or doing
anything to stop rape or sexual assault, not owning up to what is being done to
a victim and causing them more emotional and physical pain.
Lastly, the issue
that resonated with me the most is the issue of discrimination in our laws.
Joey was stuck in a dilemma of having come out as a rape victim – which did
not mean justice. Instead, it meant she was to blame because there was not
enough evidence and she was seen as the one behaving irresponsibly.
When I heard Stories rape and how girls often waited months or years before confessing
they were a victim, I always said to myself, "If I were raped I would tell
someone immediately. I don’t understand why people wait.” I watched
this play and understood why. Victims of
rape are often further victimized and persecuted, not just by peers and friends, but by the
legal system. Police officers tell girls that their case will most
likely not go to court and that their reputations
and permanent records will be tainted, not the reputation of the rapist who
inflicted the pain and will probably go unpunished. It never occurred to me that
it is those closest to us who put us in danger of rape and who, in most
cases, have authority and impose their will to keep the victim's mouth shut.
I never understood
what rape really was until the night I saw the play. I knew it was an issue. I knew the
boundaries of consent and that in no way, shape or form is a girl “asking for
it” unless she actually asks for it. However, I did not know the implications
of coming out as a rape victim. I did not know society and our own police force stigmatize victims and question them in such a manner that they feel
blame and self-hate.
I encourage readers to go out and watch this play if it is
being shown again or in a town near you. Try to find it online. This is an
issue that affects everyone. Even if you do not think you are directly part of
it, you are. This play awakened me to the
reality that we live in a world where there is not much justice, but educating
the public can really make a difference.
Image A from website: http://www.broadwayworld.com/off-off-broadway/arti...
Image B from website: http://www.good.is/do/join-the-stopslut-movement-b...
Image C from website: http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/SLUT-THE-PLAY...
