Thursday 17 April 2008

Girls only

Rue SorguetteI have no idea what came first of the poster or the graffiti.
The poster advertises an event to take place on the 25th of April, a play loosely based on the Vagina monologues followed by a discussion. It's a 'girls-only event, males not welcome' (!) says the poster. Entry is upon voluntary contribution. Honestly I'm not sure I want to go. Have you seen the original play by Eve Ensler? Based on interviews with over 200 women it takes a strong feminist stance. It has been translated into 26 languages and has been played extensively in France, meeting massive success.
I wonder if the menacing graffiti came as a response to the poster. If so, it's pretty sinister. Conversely if the poster came after the graffiti, it's a pretty brave move!

Je n'ai aucune idée si c'est le tag ou l'affiche qui était là en premier.
L'affiche annonce une soirée qui aura lieu le 25 avril prochain à la Maison IV de Chiffre (maison des associations), rue des teinturiers. C'est un spectacle-discussion autour des Monologues du Vagin, 'adaptation très très libre' dit l'affiche, suivie d'un débat. L'affiche indique 'Soirée entre femmes, non mixte. Prix libre'. Pour être franche je ne suis pas sûre d'avoir envie d'y aller. Avez-vous vu la pièce originale d'Eve Ensler ? Créée en 1996 elle a connu un grand succès à Broadway puis dans le monde entier. A ce jour, la pièce a été traduite en 26 langues et jouée dans une trentaine de pays, dont la France où elle a connu un grand succès. Basée sur des entretiens avec plus de 200 femmes, la pièce est considérée comme un pilier du féminisme.
Je me demande si ce menaçant graffiti est venu en réponse à l'affiche. Si c'est le cas, c'est assez sinistre. Inversement si l'affiche a été posée après, on peut le lire comme un geste de contre-provocation, ou de résistance, comme on voudra.
avignon photo monologues du vagin - the vagina monologues

21 comments:

bitingmidge said...

Either way, it was well documented!

cheers,

Marcel said...

The play was here in Sitka, Alaska about 2 years ago. As I man I figured I best not go, but I heard it was good.

Jilly said...

Oh do go see it. I saw a production at Stars n Bars in Monaco. I found it touching and moving and also very funny at times. And there were quite a few men in the audience too,including a wonderful journalist-writer whose charity had benefited from the performance.

I'm very surprised the poster says 'no men' - in Monaco they were encouraged to attend and quite rightly too. They all learned something and I'm not talking sexual stuff here but what it means to be raped, abused, etc. but also the joys of love, children.

You need to sit thru it - I found one or two of the monologues tough to listen to but well worth it to hear it all. I guess much would depend on the quality of the acting, come to think of it.

Off my soapbox!

Kris McCracken said...

Someone has gone to a bit of effort there. I think that it rivals the graffiti that I photographed and posted today!

Anonymous said...

Ok Jilly has convinced me. I haven't seen it yet and I'm not sure that it is still playing in Adelaide - I doubt it somehow. Perhaps we will be able to see it in France.
I don't like the graffiti. I suspect that the poster came first Nathalie.
My girlfriends and I are going to see a play at the Festival Centre (Dunstan Playhouse) on 29 April called "Female of the Species" which is a farcical comedy about feminism. Should be fun. Now that I have a camera, I'll take some photos and see if M.B will post one of them.

claude said...

Ton précédent post sur le coquelicot, endroit où 2 scarabées
batifollent est plus poétique.

Anonymous said...

Thank you very much Jilly for speaking of the play in such great words. It really makes me want to see it. This particular play is "very very loosely" adapted from the original Vagina Monologues, and because it's followed by a debate I suspect it' more of a opening to give females a chance to share their experiences, hence the "no males" warning.

I'll try to go and see the original play when it's on in Avignon.

Anonymous said...

Regarding the research I did about the play, the fun side of it is, I only originally photographed the graffiti because I found it quite powerful, especially in that harsh light. I didn't pay attention to the poster at all, I hardly saw it. Then when I got home I read the fine print on the poster (I am glad that I take all my pics in superfine definition so when I enlarge them I can read everything)- a whole new approach to the photo arose, with the conflicting messages brought about by the poster and the graffiti...
Life is interesting.

PeterParis said...

It's fascinating what you can discover sometimes when you open a photo on your PC coming back home. Sometimes disappointments, sometimes a good surprise...! ... and sometimes it can lead to an interesting post, like this one!

Anonymous said...

I found this interesting and then the comments made the whole post fascinating and if I were there I would like to attend. I have a wife and four daughters so am interested in girl things.

cataras said...

Tu a une très belle façon de prendre ces photos d'Avignon. Merci pour ton blog et merci pour me l'avoir fait découvrir.

Jane Hards Photography said...

That's quite a fierce looking piece of graffiti. Does go well with the sentiments of the play though. Well captured.

Anonymous said...

Je n'ai pas très bien compris, c'est une soirée entre femmes et donc les hommes ne sont pas admis? Si c'est le cas, ce serait vraiment dommage car les hommes auraient bien à apprendre d'une telle pièce. Quant au tag, il est triste, mais peut-être le fait de quelqu'un désoeuvré qui n'a pas mesuré la portée de son acte. Bonne soirée!

Anonymous said...

ah oui et merci de me faire rire, aujourd'hui, vous étiez en forme. :-)

Bob Crowe said...

I, too, recommend the play. My wife and I saw it together a few of years ago and found it very provocative. The audience was about 50-50 men and women. This wall drawing, though, is hostile and frightening (on purpose, I'm sure). The original play was clearly written for both sexes, from women's point of view. Evidently, this "very free adaptation" is not. The sexes have to co-exist. We have two female and two male lawyers in our firm and our relationship has always been delightful.

Kate said...

It's interesting to me to note how sexual content can be misconstrued and sometimes distorted. Personally I think it's fear.

Theatre is an excellent venue for sharing life's stories, joys and pain. Go see it; it's wonderful.

Ruth said...

I haven't seen the Vagina Monologues yet, but I'd like to. Last time it came to our campus, I sent out a mass email to our thousand English majors. I got an email back from a young man who said, somewhat politely, but in no uncertain terms, would I please not send out emails "like that" and stick to more pertinent announcements. I agree, people of both sexes should see it, maybe especially those who think they shouldn't. But I shouldn't say, since I haven't seen it myself.

Anonymous said...

Probably obvious, but I sent a mass email announcing the Vagina Monologues. Want to make that clear!

Maxime said...

Je suis certain d'une chose : la porte était là avant !

Cergie said...

Mon plus jeune frère est gynéco (on l'appelle "Doc Gynéco" et ça le fait rire)
Lorsqu’il vient à Paris, il aime aller au théâtre et bien sûr, n'a pas loupé "le monologue du vagin"
Ca nous a fait rire aussi. Mais je ne me souviens plus ce qu'il a pensé de la pièce !

Le dessin du graph est magnifique. Avec des grandes lignes. Un très beau crayonné. C'est un dessin d'artiste, vraiment. La ligne du cou passe sous l'affiche. Le dessin était là avant.

Tomate Farcie said...

Not sure I would go either. I saw the vagina monologues (in English) and that's all the vagina I can take for a while ;)

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