Swit’s ad libs create a
friendly onstage ambience

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By John Berger
jberger@starbulletin.com

Feeling a bit "vagina-ed out" since "The Vagina Monologues" hit Honolulu last week? Hopefully not. The show continues through Sunday at the Hawaii Theatre, and with Loretta Swit as the third cast member, it is worth seeing again.

Don't get me wrong. There was nothing lacking last week when Amy J. Carle, Mackenzie Phillips and Michele Shay were the threesome bringing Eve Ensler's fascinating characters to life. Each was excellent.

Carle, Shay and Swit deliver strong performances this week but with an additional sense of unity and off-the-script interaction.

'The Vagina Monologues' Where: Hawaii Theatre When: 8 p.m. today, 5 and 8 p.m. tomorrow, and 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday Admission: $20 to $45 Call: 528-0506

There were more ad libs when Swit opened with Carle and Shay on Tuesday, and the free-flowing feel added to the "we're all friends here" ambience in the audience. Swit welcomed several late-arriving "vaginas" as they tried to slip into the theater unnoticed. She also went off the script to share an experience she'd had doing the show in another city.

Carle contributed to the feeling of spontaneity by inviting the crowd to let her know if they wanted to hear a particularly popular "vagina fact" again during the show. She got two subsequent requests. The bit became full-on audience participation.

Swit approached "Bosnia" and "The Woman Who Likes to Make Vaginas Happy" with less body language than Phillips did last week. Swit's "Bosnia" is particularly subtle in execution but takes us to the same heartbreaking destination.

Swit brings both warmth and irony to one of the most empowering monologues, "Because He Liked to Look at It" ("Bob," for short).

Shay, who did "Bob" last week, displays her dialect skills and comic chops this week replacing Phillips in "The Vagina Workshop" and takes it smoothly over the top. Shay approaches the "Reclaiming ..." segment with an irresistible gospel fervor that gets folks of both sexes involved in her rant.

This is the monologue that explores the power of words and the arbitrariness with which some words are deemed acceptable and others are not. It is potentially the most powerful monologue in the show. She does it perfectly.

Great theater simultaneously provides entertainment and the opportunity to assess our views and values. That's what Carle, Shay and Swit are sharing through Sunday with "The Vagina Monologues."

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