Review by anonymous
June 26, 2016 certified reviewerWhat I liked
The actress portrays incredible confidence, wit and charm. It’s a daunting task to hold the audience’s attention for an entire hour solo, but it’s a task she took on with ease. I also like the concept of the setting in a motivational workshop.
What I didn't like
I’m a firm believer that art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable. With that being said, I was uneasy with two aspects of the play: the actress’ partial disrobing for seemingly no reason, and the somewhat casual discussion of kink and sexual assault.
Perhaps I missed a line where the actress discussed her reasoning for removing clothing, but it seemed to happen randomly, out of nowhere. I felt that this detracted from the piece, acting as unnecessary shock value in a piece that’s already fairly shocking in some aspects.
In my opinion, kink and BDSM are highly misunderstood and often poorly represented in books and movies- the most glaring example, of course, being Fifty Shades of Grey. I liked that this piece discussed kink in a sex-positive manner, and encouraged the audience to explore their own fantasies. I felt that the topic was somewhat glossed over, though. Perhaps instead of telling the character’s nearly complete dating history, the dynamics of one of the kinky relationships could have been further investigated. Since they were not very deeply explored, I felt that the kink references were also used for somewhat unnecessary shock value.
Sexual assault should be talked about, and the silence and discomfort surrounding discussion of the topic only perpetuates shame and continues the cycle of rape culture. However, I feel an audience should be prepared for this topic, as a staggering amount of women have been assaulted. This piece could be triggering to survivors, especially since it is not mentioned or even hinted at in the description. Although the character condemns her attackers, I was troubled by the fact that she did not pursue justice.
My overall impression
Mouthy Bitch is a frank discussion of one woman’s sexual past, and while it is entertaining, engaging, and also somewhat thought-provoking, it glosses over some important topics.
