THEATRE REVIEW: Not Woman Enough
30.03.2023 at Basement Theatre
Photo Credit: John Rata
Not Woman Enough is a powerful and sharp exploration of Asian women and their relationship to sex, the body, and gender. Centered on the stories of three very different pan-Asian women navigating three very different struggles, the performance taps into the (often hushed) realities of womanhood: Vivian’s eager exploration of her sexuality is marred by her painful encounters with penetrative sex, fierce Beatrice is shaken by her breast cancer diagnosis, and Ivy struggles to reconcile her successful life with her inability to have a child.
The use of traditional feminine markers as stage props were interesting to me: pink coloured pantyhose and red bras hung from the ceilings like stalactites, congealed together in a Cronenberg-esque landscape. I knew what the performance was about, but walking into the theatre and immediately seeing this almost body horror set-up framed the narrative in a different light. The typical notion of women’s bodies as soft and delicate was redefined as a dripping, chaotic landscape of pink and red. The stage design also encompassed so much of what it feels like to be a woman, of being trapped inside a body that dictates your entire worth - but what happens when this body rebels against you?
“…this almost body horror set-up framed the narrative in a different light. The typical notion of women’s bodies as soft and delicate was redefined as a dripping, chaotic landscape of pink and red”
Not Woman Enough explores this question in such an astute and perceptive way. Each character could have easily been a caricature of their struggles, reduced to nothing but their bodies and their womanhood. However, the strength of Hweiling Ow’s writing is in its balance. Ow balances humour with sincerity, specificity with universality, and in this she creates a script that is authentic. She never dwells on the identity markers of the characters as Asian Women, but rather gives them space to breathe beyond their experiences. When she does focus on the elements of culture and gender, they are woven throughout the narrative fluidly, never feeling obvious or overly-explicit. Not Woman Enough refracts the Asian female experience through sex and the body, showing us how pervasive and ingrained these cultural attitudes are: Vivian’s need to people please, Beatrice’s rebellion as a rejection of traditional medicines, Ivy’s overachiever status. All of the characters present their Asianness in a way that is real, not tokenistic.
“…the strength of Hweiling Ow’s writing is in its balance. Ow balances humour with sincerity, specificity with universality, and in this she creates a script that is authentic.”
Ow creates three female characters that feel genuine on stage - particularly with Ivy. Ivy’s character presents a nuanced exploration of motherhood and her monologues were not only extremely well-considered, but also amazingly delivered by Anjula Prakash. Prakash brought an unforgettable presence to the stage. She manifested Ivy’s personal conflicts with a subtlety that I will never forget. Shervonne Grierson and Isla Mayo bring an energetic flair to their characters. Grierson channels a naive optimism that is reminiscent of a pet animal let loose. Vivian is excited, and she is eager to explore her sexuality, but she is also isolated and unsure of what’s wrong. Beneath Grierson’s excitable dialogue, there is a sense of confusion and self-blame. Similar to Beatrice, who is battling breast cancer with heartbreaking tenacity, Mayo layers so many emotions beneath a single smile. Ow’s writing is poignant and it is powerful, and these actresses succeed in bringing the words to life on stage.
Photo Credit: John Rata
One of the things I particularly enjoyed about this show was the way it explored womanhood from several different perspectives. I often find it difficult to relate to creative work about womanhood because I don’t really connect with conventional feminine markers. But, I resonated so deeply with Ivy - the way she kept her womanhood at arms length, the way she had a tense relationship between her body and her ambition. Ivy represented a character I rarely see in the media and I am so grateful stories like this are being told. Not Woman Enough refuses to amalgamate the experience of womanhood into a single, digestible narrative. Rather, the performance explores a necessary facet of womanhood: the multiplicity of women's experiences. Each of the characters relate to their body and to sex in vastly different ways.
“Not Woman Enough refuses to amalgamate the experience of womanhood into a single, digestible narrative”
And all of this depth and complexity is paired with an 00’s slumber party-style tone. Somehow, it was all the more special to experience this performance with Britney Spears' Toxic blasting over the speakers. There was humour and fun and, most importantly, connection in these experiences. The three characters shared the stage as though they were childhood friends, moving with each other, supporting each other, and understanding each other. Is this what I wished my teen-girl years could have been like? Sharing those terrifying truths instead of pretending it was all ‘normal’?
Photo Credit: John Rata
Not Woman Enough is about womanhood and it is about the way cultural identity can inform our relationship with sex, the body, and gender. A work that never feels overdone or too performative, this play is both hilarious and poignant all at once. Not Woman Enough has opened up a space for these hushed and taboo conversations to take place, showing the importance of theatre in contemporary society.
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Check out more about Not Woman Enough here!
Director: Sananda Chatterjee
Cast: Shervonne Grierson, Isla Mayo, Anjula Prakash
Playwright: Hweiling Ow
Set Design: Talia Pua
Lighting: Rachael Longshaw-park
Producer: Natasha Daniel
Stage Manager: Ariadne Baltazar
Presented By: Proudly Asian Theatre
Featuring Music by: Carawei Gao