Content Warning: This article contains references to homicide, murder and shootings.
Valerie Solanas’ “Up Your Ass” is a sonorous and confrontational satire, driving home its feminist message with undeniable force. The play follows the main character Bongi Perez, played by Saanvi Nayar (26C), as she interacts with various men and women on the street, commenting on the disparities between them. Olivia Gilbert (26C) is a first-time director for this ambitious play, which has only been performed once outside of Emory University’s production. The show debuted on Nov. 3 and ran through Nov. 5.
Since Solanas wrote the play in 1965, “Up Your Ass” has wobbled between satiric commentary and offensive mockery, unsurprisingly. Solanas herself is a controversial historical figure as she shot Andy Warhol, a reaction to his refusal to produce “Up Your Ass.”
“He had too much control over my life,” the radical feminist said after the crime.
Given this context, Solanas’ comedy naturally plays with extremes. If readers are interested in learning more about Solanas or Emory’s production of “Up Your Ass,” the cast and crew will release a documentary on the subject in the spring of 2024.
When the play opens, Bongi demonstrates a hatred for men but also catcalls women. She gets angry when the women on the street ignore her. Yet when White Cat, played by Sandy Askins (26C), and Black Cat, played by Jessie Betancourt (25B), approach and try the same tactics on the passing women, Bongi criticizes them.
“All your passion’s concentrated in your d***,” Bongi said, her hypocrisy highlighting how pervasive women’s objectification is in a patriarchal society.
Effective directing could not eliminate Bongi’s flaws, but Nayar’s playful portrayal of the character subverted expectations. Whether she was rolling her eyes at a man’s ego or delivering the controversial lines with a good-natured smile, Nayar made these choices to keep audiences engaged with Bongi’s character. The actress encapsulated Bongi’s character through expressive body language, reacting playfully to the other characters onstage even when she does not have a line. Nayar’s magnetic presence allowed audiences to appreciate some of Bongi’s more off-putting quips.
Gender relations are further explored when Bongi talks to Ginger, played by Braden White (24C), and Russel, played by River Somerville (27C), about the key to good cooking. Like most of the characters in “Up Your Ass,” Bongi encounters these two randomly out on the street. When Ginger tries to strike up a conversation about Russel’s abilities as a cook, Russel proves himself to be a braggart with dubious abilities.
“All the best cooks are men, you know,” Russel said. “This’ll be a dinner with virility, hair on its chest, nothing boring and effeminate.”
Somerville’s interpretation of this character allowed audiences to appreciate the ridiculousness of Russel’s sentiments. The actor paced mechanically and conveyed the lecture in a stilted manner. Considering that this is the same character who said he reads joke books to develop his humor, this performance was spot-on. Russel is the condescending pedantic who does not understand the creative passions: the ultimate mansplainer.
Ginger also resembles a caricature with which audiences would be familiar. She is a self-described “one of the boys.”
“I don’t like to brag, but I could never get along with other women,” Ginger said.
This type of woman, who ingratiates herself with men by disparaging other women, is still prevalent in modern conversations about how everyone can internalize patriarchal values. Since figures like Russel and Ginger predominate in 21st-century conversations around gender, “Up Your Ass” has the potential to explore how both men and women perpetuate stereotypes.
Bongi’s attitudes contrast with Ginger’s, as Bongi takes pride in her femininity. Audiences witnessed this when Bongi delivers a zinging one-liner at Russell for accusing her of not knowing what femininity is.
“I’m so female,” she responded spitefully. “I’m subversive.”
Bongi also acknowledges that wholly aligning oneself with femininity and ignoring patriarchal societal expectations is a rebellious act. Men rarely want women to be authentically feminine but wish for them to conform to men’s desires.
Arthur, played by Eleanor Byers (25C), another character who approaches Bongi on the street, also feels marginalized by her femininity. However, unlike Bongi, Arthur’s feelings of marginalization stem from adhering to patriarchal norms by marrying a man.
“I’m one of society’s rejects — a wed mother,” she forthrightly said.
Arthur follows up with an elaboration of how society expects women to refrain from complaining about married life because they subjected themselves to it willingly. She discusses how her desires are expansive yet her marriage and its strict regulations hindered her ambitions. For example, Arthur gripes about how the couple even has to schedule sexual intercourse.
Ironically enough, Arthur’s marriage still intervenes with her self-expression in the scene. While she is ranting freely to Bongi about how all-consuming marriage and motherhood can be for a woman, her simpering son, also played by Somerville, trudges in to interrupt their intimate conversation.
Arthur’s son expresses to his mother that his supervisor has ejected him from the playground for having his genitals exposed. The play ends when Arthur kills and buries her son. Naturally, the theme of the play is not that murder is acceptable, but that all women, especially those entrapped in heteronormative roles, experience emotional turmoil from the daily expectations marriage places on them. Patriarchal society expects women to remain graceful and reserved at all times, yet this plot point demonstrates the danger of this repression.
“Up Your Ass” contains refreshing commentary on gender roles in society and deserves its renewed time in the spotlight. It is not without contradictions, but neither are the 21st-century discussions on these issues. Many characters in the play express feeling undervalued, repressed or threatened, and Bongi’s collective interactions with these characters demonstrate that patriarchy universally breeds ostracization. By raising awareness on how gender discrimination disadvantages everyone, Solanas invites more conversations around gender equality and ensures that her characters’ isolation is not reproduced in her audience members.
If you or someone you know have been affected by homicide or murder, you can reach Emory’s Counseling and Psychological Services at (404) 727-7450 or https://counseling.emory.edu/. You can reach the Emory Police Department at (404) 727-6111 or the Atlanta Police Department at (404) 614-6544.
If you or someone you know is struggling in the aftermath of gun violence, you can reach Emory’s Counseling and Psychological Services at (404) 727-7450 or https://counseling.emory.edu/ or the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Disaster Distress hotline 24/7 at +1 (800) 985-5990.
