Cultural Event Response 2

Teatro Luna's S-E-X-Oh!

I was not sure what to expect from S-E-X-Oh!, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that the tone was humorous and the atmosphere was informal. When the actresses came out and introduced the show in the beginning, they were very welcoming and created a relaxed atmosphere from the start. Before the show began, I had time to view the large images of each woman displayed on stage. The incorporation of photos, drawing, and text reminded me of the kind of work made by the Dada artists. In addition to the visual aspects of the performance, the skits, monologues, dialogues, and audio each helped to present the ideas about sex in a language that anyone can understand. For example, rather than having a woman tell the audience what her experience as a phone sex worker was like, we got to see for ourselves through her performance the good, bad, and ugly of her job.

I liked the use of audio when introducing each of the women individually. The way the speaker was not present- her voice came over a speaker- and the impersonal tone of her voice as she stated facts and generalizations about each woman made the women seem like they weren’t individuals. Similarly, the way that the women turned around so that we could see there front, profile, and back in the manner of a mug shot added to this idea that women can be thought of as objects, especially by men. My favorite part of the production was the scene where the women tell each other what makes them “hot.” This scene was very unique with the ideas they came up with and it was the funniest part of the show. “Trader Joe’s makes me hot” is a quote that will probably stick with me forever not only because it is hilarious, but because it stretches the boundaries of attraction. Sex is not all about the act itself- the women broadened the definition to things that we can recognize and access in everyday life.