Play explores woman’s transformation
by Brian Shults, se news editor

    Upstairs inside a clandestine room on SE Campus, Claudia Acosta hopes to trample on the old conventions, customs and clichés of femininity the old-fashioned way—using live theater.

    Girlie Stories is written by Acosta, SE theater major, and co-directed with David Vieira. It stars Kim Evans, Sarah Porrit and Deborah Prickett and features John M. Davis.

    “I want to offer my audience a deeper understanding of the transformation from girl to woman,” Acosta said.

    The production consists of nine separate monologues woven between the three actresses.

    While writing, Acosta considered: “What is a woman? What makes women attractive? What makes their sexuality expose a man’s vulnerability?”

    Girlie Stories is my story, my explanation of being a woman in today’s world. This past summer I decided to write it all down, and John Shafer (head of the SE theater department) agreed to produce it this fall for SE Campus,” she added.

    As well as being performed on campus, the play is SE Campus’ first student-written and directed entry into the American College Theatre Festival (ACTF) in Commerce, Texas.

    “I’m excited about entering the ACTF. The one thing I hope everyone can realize from the play is strength. Instilling strength, courage and discovery in women is very important. And sometimes it’s okay not to accept the roles society usually throws at us,” she said.

    Acosta, 21, began writing the play during the summer after gaining the inspiration from the prowess of her character Terri in a theatrical interpretation of Jack Kerouac’s On the Road.

    “Terri’s pain and frustration with men defining who she is and her struggle as a Hispanic was something I could relate to. Then one day I was talking to my friends wondering why we could not talk about all the sexual taboos surrounding men and women. Then I decided to write Girlie Stories,” she said.

    Acosta decided not to give the characters names in order to allow the audience to place their own or someone who it reminds them of.

    “I think the play is a strong expression of the female experience,” Vieira said.

    Evans added, “The stories are honest. They are the daydreams and desires I go through everyday.”

    Evans’ character confronts the daily toils of putting on make-up, womanhood and self-loathing that sometimes accompanies a glance in the mirror.

    Also she contends with the exasperation of a cheating boyfriend, the reverie of being a seductress on stage and the sensation of power over the on-looking man.

    Porrit confided, “When the audience leaves, I want them to think about what women go through and the decisions they make regarding their bodies without judging,” she said snapping her fingers, “just like that!”

    A man lies sleeping on a bed while Porrit’s character experiences mounting indecisiveness.

    “What does a one-night stand mean? Do I want him to stay or go?,” she said.

    Porrit also encounters a confliction of emotions when her parents discover she is having premarital sex. In her third scene, she rocks back and forth between the biological desire to have a child and the desire for independence.

    “There is more soul searching for me in this play than I’m used to. I have never had to deal with many of these situations before. Claudia and the cast are very helpful,” she said.

    Featured as the silent male presence in two of Porrit’s scenes is Davis. In addition to acting, Davis is stage manager, technical director and general communications hub for everyone.

    “Every guy knows that women go through so much from an emotional aspect. We don’t have the experience of the spiritual connection between mother and child. None of us has even the faintest notion of childbearing.

    “Claudia deals with these issues in a positive way. Men can gain a lot of insight by watching Girlie Stories,” Davis said.

    Prickett added, “Guys who watch this play will look into a world I don’t think they’ve ever looked into.”

    One skit titled Plus or Minus addresses the fearful uncertainty preceding a pregnancy test.

    Monumental changes in someone’s life floods the mind when considering the possibility of pregnancy. And not brooding over them is not an option, she said.

    “Girl Crush is another scene where I try to come to grips with my own sexuality. My feelings towards women and what makes us so different is something I think many people should try and understand,” Prickett said.

    Prickett’s third piece is realization of herself and discovering her ability to control her own life and destiny. She differentiates between who she was taught to be versus who she is.

    “Girlie Stories has made me more conscious of my presence as a woman and how important it is to share that with others,” she said. “I believe women have made so much headway. I’m so thankful for my fellow sisters who have come before me and broken the chains of repression.”

    Vieira agreed, “When I’m finished directing and it’s performed, I want the audience to leave with the awareness that the ‘Donna Reed housewife’ is a dying breed. I think that the play a good thing because it’s showing an advancement in our society.”

    Shafer approached him with the idea of directing the play in mid September, Vieira said.

    “I’ve always wanted to direct. This presented me with an interesting challenge and the opportunity to have a play compete in a national championship. When I first read the play, it had quite a bit of shock value, but once I became involved, I realized how amazing it is,” he said.

    According to Evans, “Many people may be angry at first with the play and its honesty, but it will give anyone a better understanding of young women in the 21st century.”

    Prickett said, “Girlie Stories is a ground-breaking play. For some it will hit that bone in their body and make them say, ‘What right do they think they have to say that?’ Others will say, ‘It’s about time, thank you.’ It’s time for earnestness to be brought into the modern sphere we all live in.”

    Davis added, “Claudia wrote a powerful script. I hear her talking through the dialogue from listening to her everyday.”

    Adamant to further hone her skills and communicate with others through theater, Acosta plans to earn her master’s in fine arts at TCU.

    “I found inspiration to pursue theater working at Hip Pocket Theatre with Johnny Simons. Everything he writes is personal and from his own raw experience. Rob Bosquez’s imagination and spirituality show me anything can be done. Also seeing another Hispanic succeed is very motivating. I realize that it can be done,” Acosta said.

    “The little things don’t necessarily make a woman. There is always more to see,” she said.
    SE Campus’ new Studio Theatre is devoted solely to student works.

“The opportunity to tell your story is what Studio Theatre is here for. If you have a story, tell it,” she said.