Sasha Davis ’13 is this week’s campus celebrity following her amazing (orgasmic?) performance in the Vagina Monologues.
HC: When did you first get involved in theater? What have you been in at Bowdoin?
SD: I first got involved in theater in elementary school…sort of. My school did not have a theater or a drama club, but my fifth grade teacher would have her language arts class participate in the local Shakespeare Festival for DC schools every spring. I was cast as Arielle in The Tempest and absolutely loved acting. I was crazy shy in elementary school, so I guess I found a type of release in acting. After that experience, I decided to audition for different classes and workshops at a local theater in DC—that’s where I really discovered a love for the art of acting and learned how to appreciate it as an art form and more than just a means for emotional release.
I love Bowdoin’s theater department and student theater group, Masque and Gown! I was in Rhinoceros (The Waitress) and Orpheé (Eurydice) my freshman year; Jackie and Johnny’s Friday Night Fright Show (Jackie) my sophomore year; and Twelfth Night (Maria) and Top Girls (Waitress/Kit/Shona) this past year. I have also really, really loved the theater classes I have taken at Bowdoin and the opportunity to be involved in the directing projects that happen during fall semesters.
HC: Was the Vagina Monologues particularly special to you?
SD: The Vagina Monologues was very special to me and it is an experience that I will remember. I truly believe that theater is one of the strongest mediums for social change and awareness. We all tend to naturally gravitate towards stories, from the time we are in preschool and having books read to us through our old age when we fully appreciate a staged play, for example. There is a certain power contained in listening to someone’s story and not being able to question, challenge, or refute it—it’s amazing how much you can learn from just listening. Each of the monologues in the Vagina Monologues is representative of at least one person’s story and no matter what that story is, the women who originally shared them deserve to have their stories and experiences respected. It is a very special experience to be able to lend your voice to someone else’s words in the hopes of spreading awareness.
HC: In your monologue you had to moan repeatedly on stage – How did you envision the monologue when you found out you got it? How did it feel to do it in front of an audience? Any advice for conquering stage fright?
SD: I played “The Woman Who Loved to Make Other Woman Happy”, also known as “The Moaner”, this year. At first I didn’t have a clear vision for the monologue, but once I identified what my objective was, the rest fell into place. In acting class, you learn how to identify the objective of a scene and once you identify what your objective is, you choose actions to help you accomplish that objective. I was a little nervous about the monologue at first because I have never played such a sexually driven role before, so I chose an objective that would help give me confidence and forget about out of my element. I decided to make it my objective to challenge the audience. It’s tricky with such a sexualized role, because I consistently had to remind myself that I was playing a real person, and that a real person would take herself seriously when sharing her story. The Moaner, at least in my interpretation of her, would confidently tell and share her experience with the audience and challenge them to listen to, appreciate, and respect what she has to say.
I love acting, but I am naturally a pretty introverted person. It’s kind of funny I still get really nervous talking in class, but I can be totally comfortable acting in a play. I deal with stage fright by totally committing, physically, emotionally, and verbally to the role I am playing. By clearly defining what my objective is and taking the appropriate actions on stage to accomplish that objective, its not hard to become completely involved in the scene or monologue and forget that I am being watched by an audience. In a scene, I commit to my scene partner, with a monologue like “The Moaner,” I treat the audience as my scene partner.
HC: Do you think your friends or people in your classes were surprised to see you in such a sexual role? Had you ever played a role like it?
SD: I have definitely been cast in sassy roles before, but I have never had to do something like moan on stage. A number of people have told me they were surprised or that they would have never expected to see me do something like that on stage before, but that is a crazy amazing side effect of theater. I love being able to play roles that are so different than “normal Sasha” because it really challenges me. Also, when you finally reach that place where you bring a character’s lines to life in a really believable way, it’s an amazing feeling. I have a friend back home and we always say it’s our acting “twilight zone”—you’re still yourself, but you’re not, but you’re kind of a little bit.
HC: What did you take away from the Vagina Monologues?
SD: I took a lot from my experience with the Vagina Monologues. First, the amount of cast bonding that goes into such an emotionally involved experience is unforgettable. There are amazing women at Bowdoin and I am so happy I was able to meet so many new people during the process. The entire process also revived a hope for change and openness that is often muted during day-to-day life. The Vagina Monologues raises awareness about sexual violence against women, but it also encourages men and women to be able to have conversations about everything the monologues talk about. After seeing the show, you’ve heard the word “vagina” so many times…the discomfort associated with just saying that word or any other potentially awkward words is over. Basically, I took away both a personal increased comfort in being able to talk about these sensitive topics, but also the hope that others will begin talking more, too. Sexual violence does not deserve to be skirted around—we need to be blatantly honest and call the situation for what it is and sometimes that requires using the word “vagina” or more.
HC: Any thoughts of a career in theater?
SD: Ahhh the question about real life so many college students (including myself) cringe at when they hear it! Right now, I hope to become a middle school teacher and am planning on becoming certified to teach special education. I do plan on keeping theater in my life, though. Any experience with community theater I have had has been spectacular, so I know I will be finding the nearest community theater wherever I end up after graduation. Helping to coordinate and run a theater group at a school or for children with special needs would be a dream come true for me. Theater has helped me grow up; it helped me combat being mad shy, get to know and love some of my closest, best friends, and share a passion with others. Not only is theater so much fun for me, but I also constantly learn when I act. I love having the chance to have fun, learn, share, meet people, express myself, and teach all while being on a true creative high. I hope this made sense. Simply put, I guess, acting is honestly one of top two truest passions and I don’t know who I would have turned out to be without it.
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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Bowdoin chapter.