This past Sunday we had the opportunity to sit in on a dramatic reading of Stephen Gracia’s play “The Woman who Gave Birth to Rabbits”. I firmly believe that reading a play does it no justice in comparison to seeing it acted out, which is why I was initially excited for this experience. I have never really been someone who gets “weirded out” (for lack of better phrasing) by things in literature, plays, or film, so I did enjoy the play when I read it. I found its commentary on a woman’s station in life and societally implanted obligation to create a family to be incredibly thought-provoking. Hearing the actors read it made me enjoy the play even more as I thought it helped to invigorate the characters. I found the actress who had played Mary’s performance to be especially captivating, but of course all of the actors shone in their roles. I also enjoyed having the opportunity to discuss the content of the play and the theater industry in general. Stephen told us about all of his efforts to make his work affordable to the masses, as the art world tends to be nigh inaccessible to many. Additionally, he told us something that I also tend to find true: “When money changes hands art becomes fraudulent.” The idea that art has steadily morphed into a commodity to be bought and sold is one that we have frequently addressed in this seminar, and it makes me glad to see that there are artists out there ensuring that their art is available for everyone. Aside from the play itself, I also had the opportunity to speak to two of the actors afterwards, Victoria and John (who had played the midwife and Joshua). They told me about a film production company they owned, and we just talked for a while about all things film and the film industry, as it is something I definitely have an interest in. I found my experience with “The Woman who Gave Birth to Rabbits” to be quite gratifying in a multitude of ways: not only did I get to experience a compelling piece of art, but also the opportunity to have a discussion on the art with the man who created it and on the art industry in general.

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