When was the first time you saw “The Vagina Monologues”?
I actually saw a DVD of it when I was a freshman, with Eve Ensler herself playing all the parts. I watched it because I was writing a paper on it for a theater class—basically, we were supposed to write about controversial theater.
Did it shock you? Or did you think, “I want to do that”?
The thing about it is, I think it is such an important show because it does have shocking moments, but it’s all rooted in truth. It’s all either one woman’s story or an amalgamation of several different stories. The point is that it is talking about controversial things, it’s talking about things that people don’t normally talk about, that they sweep under the rug. You don’t have to agree with everything it says, but I think the fact that it’s out there, so we can have a dialogue about it, so we can talk about it, that’s the goal.
Did the cast get really close? Because of the nature of the content of the show?
When you go through any process of several weeks and you see the same people every day, you do get closer. But yeah [laughing], we went to Early To Bed, which is this feminist sex shop in Chicago, and we all went together and shopped for vibrators and stuff like that—it really does bond you. Every rehearsal we were talking about vaginas and talking about sex; by the end of it we felt really comfortable talking about issues of sexuality, our personal lives, that stuff.
You’re pretty involved with College Feminists, right?
Yeah, I’m the co-publicity director! I was working on another show at the time and I had to go to a College Feminists meeting—we were doing this show called “The Altruists” which is about activism, so we were going around to different clubs and trying to get them involved in this project to open dialogue between groups on campus. So I went to a meeting to propose the project, and the I was like, I’m gonna stay. Then I started going regularly, and at the end of the year I applied for exec. I love it, it’s a big part of my life.
Was there a reason that Vagina Monologues was right before Valentine’s Day and right before Eating Disorder Awareness Week?
Eve Ensler has it done every year right around Valentine’s Day, to sort of take V-Day and make it Vagina Day, sort of claim that day as our own. It’s about loving your body and loving sex and having good, healthy, safe, consensual sex.
Tell me about your life in theater. When did it start?
My very first play was in elementary school, and everyone in the class was in it. It was called “Rainbow Crow.” The way they cast it, it was like “Who wants to be Rainbow Crow?” and a couple people raised their hands. I raised my hand but they didn’t call on me. I ended up being a snowflake—I didn’t have lines, but I twirled and I think I tossed some sequins.
I bet you stole the show.
Oh yeah, yeah, it was great.
What’s next at Northwestern?
It’s competitive. It’s hard to wait around for someone to tell you whether you can do what you love or not. I’m actually doing my own show at the end of this quarter. I didn’t get cast in a StuCo main stage, and I was like, “You know, forget it, I’m gonna do my own thing.” So I’m acting in it, and I invited some people that I’ve worked with before that I really respect to act in it, and it’s called “4:48 Psychosis.” It’s an opportunity for people who haven’t necessarily been cast in a gajillion things but that are just as talented as anyone else.
Striking out on your own? Cool.
My acting teacher is David Catlin and he founded Lookingglass Theater, and I always talk to him and he’s very encouraging. He always says, “We started Lookingglass because we wanted to make our own theater.” So it sort of inspired me that I don’t need to wait around. If I want to do theater, I’m going to do theater. It’s all I can see myself doing. I’d be willing to have a really lame day job if I could do theater by night.
What’s your ideal lame day job then?
I would be a receptionist, or I would work in a coffee shop. Although my parents would hate, hate, hate if I were a waitress.
But you’d be such a good waitress! You’d be so friendly.
I’d be the best waitress.
Wrap it up for us: Ashley Albert in 3 words.
Compassionate, creative, and intuitive.