Rape Culture: a One Act Play In 4 Scenes
Scene 1
Curtain rises. Spotlight illuminates a selfie. Notice her beauty. Notice her confidence. Cue likes and comments. A gentle waltz of "yasss queen" and heart eye emojis enter the stage. Cue slut shaming. Up through trapdoor in center of stage jumps slurs. A grand ballet of "put on some clothes" and "wear less makeup" attack the confidence of the girl. Audience applauds, glad it's not them getting harassed.
Scene 2
Enter from right strange man. Cross to stage left and grab hold of girl. Girl yells "fire". Audience reacts in confusion by the lack of an actual fire. Sudden flashback to girl, younger, being told by her mother that if she is attacked in public, to yell fire, for no one will respond if she yells rape. Audience woos at the reveal of institutionalized rape culture. Audience romanticizes the ensuing rape. Audience blames girl for being raped rather than man for raping.
Scene 3
Enter girl, walking through the cemetary of her femininity. On her right, "here lies her dignity". Rest in pieces. On her left, funeral goers asking her why she climbed into the grave they dug for her. Cue music. Orchestrations include the songs "Catcalls on a Dark Street at Night" and "The Hypersexualization of Young Girls".
Scene 4
Lights reveal girl standing on empty stage. Cue final monologue. Girl opens her mouth to speak and… Lights dim. Curtains close. Audience is relieved they didn't have to listen to the girl speak. Relieved they didn't have to hear her opinion. Relieved they didn't have to acknowledge her as being a human being just like them.
Copyright © Hannah Fischer | Year Posted 2016
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