By Rebecca Marx
It felt so wrong to be tallying up the physical attributes of the four beautiful “Live Barbie Dolls” who were stationed outside the entrance of the Dowling Studio at the opening of the show U/G/L/Y. So wrong, but so right. Handing in the slip of paper that identified my “choice” for the most attractive of the four, I thought to myself: “This is what we do every second of every day, we look at one another’s appearance, making calculations that we don’t even recognize, judgements that are second nature, and harmful.”
Activist Sha Cage is a dynamic performer: dancer, actor and spoken word artist, who infuses each role with a passionate humanity. Whether she’s channeling a victim of human trafficking: as in her work with the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota, or playing multiple characters in the Freestyle Theatre presentation of U/G/L/Y, she does so with courage and respect. Cage is at her best in U/G/L/Y, her second of a three-part series of one woman shows with director E.G. Bailey.
In it, she skillfully portrays women that we’ve all known, or are. The show delves into culturally reinforced stereotypes that have influenced how we look at ourselves in the mirror (if we can bear to), and what manner of dysphoric image we see reflected back. Some rely on power of their beauty to get ahead, but it’s fleeting, a gilded gift that’ll fade and leave, like a bored lover. Others wear their unearned shame, accepting a life with less, feeling undeserved of more. U/G/L/Y is a character driven piece, featuring the violin talents of Kate Pehrson, and interspersed with video of women reflecting upon their own self images. Poignantly, the dislikes far exceeded the likes, their inner voices seem to shout louder with dissatisfaction, than they do with praise.
As the characters explore the universal topic of institutionalized beauty, and the resulting struggle with body shame, the theme of survival spirals throughout the performance, akin to the swirls of sand Cage trails across the stage. Especially touching, the depiction of a woman who is the victim of a disfiguring gunshot wound to the face. The victim becomes the victor, wearing her scars proudly: a reminder of her strength, something that no one can take from her.
The final “character” of the evening, a pregnant woman with a laundry list like birth plan, took the audience on an emotionally arduous journey. The powerful portrayal of the woman suffering years of postpartum depression after a traumatic near miscarriage, exemplified the inner conflict that women often experience. The daily battle to not subject oneself to unrealistic personal, cultural, and societal expectations, but instead, allow our authentic selves to be seen.
U/G/L/Y is a step in the right direction, and Sha Cage has emerged as a leader in the arts (recipient of City Page’s Best Solo Performer of 2014 Award), as well as a strong role model in the best way: her actions.
More performances at the Dowling Studio:
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