Tackling Body Image

The Joan P. Schaupp Women's Center presented "The Truth of You," an original production written and performed by St. Norbert students, faculty, and staff. The show, directed by Katie Trzaska '09, was performed on Feb. 26 and 27 in the Webb Theatre.Trzaska describes the show as "one-third performance art, one-third play, and one-third monologue," adding that the show was intended to encourage conversation on body image.

The full cast-eleven students, three professors, and one staff member-opened the show, performing an ensemble piece written by Trzaska and cast member Kate Botsford '10.

"The Truth of You" consisted of monologues written by students and staff as well as several classical poems, weaving traditional ideas of beauty together with our modern perceptions of body image. The show tackles one of the goals of the Women's Center: to address both men's and women's issues.

Two male students and two male professors performed, addressing questions about relationships and male body image.

The women's center intern and cast member Emily Czarnik-Neimeyer '09 points out that, while the main goal of the Women's Center is to empower women, they also focus on promoting human dignity and human rights. She says, "Issues that involve women undoubtedly involve men, too.and to say that body image applies just to women is being na've."

Trzaska added, "We don't talk enough about these issues on campus. They're lying there beneath the surface, but no serious discussion."

"The Truth of You" also embodies the Women's Center theme for 2008-2009: "(express)ion."

Czarnik-Neimeyer describes "(express)ion" as "a manifestation of how people, male and female, express what they're feeling in this particular component of their lives regarding their body."

The show provided an excellent opportunity for students to get involved with theatre by either writing a piece or becoming part of the cast.

Interestingly, most monologues were written by one student and performed by another student. Emily Schwanke '09, women's center intern and cast member, says, "It's interesting to take another person's persona. You feel honored, but you want to do it justice." She adds, "Writing something is one thing.but to put it out for others to see, that's empowering, exciting, nerve wracking."

"The Truth of You" is a unique production not only because of the mostly-student cast, staff, and production team, but also because the show went from creative idea to reality in less than five months.

Fortunately, students and staff immediately responded to the call for original monologues-ideas were "pretty flowing," says Czarnik-Neimeyer.

Additionally, Trzaska's dedication as director expedited the process. Putting together an original show was her idea, and she simply did not want to let that vision go. In the director's note of the show program, she describes the development of "The Truth of You": "Last semester I was approached about directing a show for the Women's Center, and I jumped on board.an idea came to me: why don't we write our own show? Why don't we have students, faculty, and staff write about their thoughts and experiences within the context of a campus community?"

When Czarnik-Neimeyer was asked what she hoped audience members would take away from "The Truth of You," she quips, "Body image is important to acknowledge and share. That's a line in the show, actually!"

Trzaska adds that the purpose of the show is to initiate conversation about body image. By utilizing the theatre to send a message about the many issues surrounding body image, she believes she has accomplished this goal.