The nine students in Drama Ensemble are getting ready to premiere their student-created piece based on feminism this March. Though the specifics of the play are still undecided, the concrete theme of feminism has been chosen. The members of Drama Ensemble are doing moment work, which is a process where they create a short scene or sequence based on research that they’ve brought in. Eventually, the sequences will be strung together to become one piece. The moments that come out of these creations will then become the basis of the script.

One of the moments that’s already been devised is about the word “like.” Sophie Aaron ’17, an active member of the group, says that the main focus of this sequence is that even if a girl says something intelligent, if she says the word “like,” that’s the only thing that some people will hear. In the performance, a girl who has been sexually assaulted by her boyfriend goes to the police for help. After describing her current predicament the policeman asks her, “did he, like, rape you?” or “did he rape you?”

“[The piece talks] about more of the subtleties and how women are perceived in society and their relationships with men and each other,” Aaron said.

Another activity the students did to prepare for the creation of their performance was to discuss women who inspired them so that the women could be featured in the performance. Some of the people they shared were Chrissie Hynde, Madeleine Albright, Mary Tyler Moore, and Ina Garten. Avery Girion ‘17 even shared Madame du Coudray, a woman she learned about in AP European History and found inspiring. Du Coudray revolutionized the practice of midwifery during the French Revolution and saved thousands of lives.

Girion is very excited about the process of creating this abstract, student-led performance. “I’m most excited to bring voices into the play that people don’t commonly associate [with feminism].” They might not be known to a lot of people. I’m really interested in powerful, intellectual women,” Girion said.