And the vaginas came!

Few minutes before curtain, the cast and crew already had the general feel of the atmosphere surrounding the theater. A very diverse set of audiences packed the venue (on two gala performances) regardless of the damp weather conditions outside. Still there were apprehensions on how the public will receive the evening's performance, obviously because of the subject matter. The Vagina!

The material is evidently Woman. In preparation for this piece, award-winning writer Eve Ensler interviewed an eclectic group of women and brilliantly compiled these interviews as the Vagina Monologues. Mainly about the many experiences of the female, the Monologues share stories of sex and intimacy, abuse and violence, social perceptions and the miracle of life. The idea is to give women a voice united.

Apprehensions then turned to ease when the audience responded positively on the introductory act as three actors discussed the general theme of the play. Amusement was evident when they blurted out the various slang and colloquial term for the female organ. "In New Jersey, they call it the twat, San Francisco calls it pussy. In Northern Cebu, they call it b***t, and in Mandaue City they call it bingkang pinaliki," the lines went. A chorus of laughter filled the hall in approval.

Then eloquent Iris Castillo relaxed the audience even more when she, as part of her act, interacted with everyone to say Vagina in different tones. "The mere thought of saying it always makes one squirmish" she quipped. She then commenced with the monologues discussing Hair followed by the sexual memoirs of a septuagenarian delivered by Cherrie Lou Mendoza. One character shared how she found solace in homosexual love while Under the Burqa reveals the life of an Afghan woman. Another material tells of the trauma of a rape victim and of course tampons, feminine napkins and the clitoris were very much part of the evening. Lera Lumactod's Reclaiming the Cunt was a sensual retelling of the sexual encounters of a playful young woman. But it was the story of a corporate lawyer turned dominatrix that put the show to orgasms. Meyen Baguio and alternate Micolle Anne Ybañez's hormone-pumping portrayal of the character's obsession on moans was a show-stopping climax! "There's the machine gun moan, the college student moan, the Roman Catholic moan, the diva moan"-you get the idea. Finally, the Monologues closed with the author's poignant recount of the birth of her grandchild. A very pregnant Chelsea Martin-Alcantara touches on the indescribable feeling of the miracle of birth. "The vagina can bleed and ache for us. It can give life".

Providing an element of surprise to his adaptation, young director Raymond Ordoño ingeniously incorporated the author's latest addition to her constantly evolving Monologues. They Beat the Girl Out of My Boy presents the plight of trans-gendered women in society. Former scribe Orly Cajegas, college student Nell Scarlett Canaya and this writer played the 'trans-vaginas' with the whole-drag-queen-nine-yards!

"I never thought Cebu was ready for this kind of material" commented expatriate Horst Ammann on the surprising reception of the explicitly candid act. Well, I guess Cebuanos are just about ready for anything. "We loved it!" exclaimed girlfriends who spent their night out watching the show. "It was fun, fabulous and actually educational," summarized international designer Charlie Manatad.

Yes, the vaginas didn't just come. They conquered, too.