Written by WIFT member Hweiling Ow, Not Woman Enough is a shocking, gut-wrenching and snort-laughingly bare-all conversation into the wonder of womanhood through the lens of three different Asian women.
Bubbly Vivian is rearing to explore sex but is finding the act immensely painful. 26-year-old Beatrice, whose breasts make up two-thirds of the dynamic trio of her identity, is shaken by the invasion of breast cancer. And Ivy, an overachiever, struggles to reach a goal for the first time in her life - having a baby.
WIFT NZ asked Hweiling about the first play she has ever written.
WIFT NZ: What makes this story work well as live theatre?
HO: The form I ended up with is a bit like The Vagina Monologues, except it intertwines the stories of just three women, and their journey through their trials and tribulations.
WIFT NZ: How do you find writing for theatre different from writing for film?
HO: Theatre can exist in many different forms, therefore storytelling forms can be experimented with and played around with a lot more. There are fewer rules, less structure, and less rigidity. The challenge is then to find something that can live on stage. The visceral immediate response from the audience can be felt. Most theatre want audiences walking away feeling something. If this play achieves that, and creates discourse in the foyer afterwards, then the play has done its job.
WIFT NZ: Can you share a memorable line of dialogue/quote from Not Woman Enough?
HO: "They all have the power to create. The flesh. The bones. A beating heart. It adds to a niggly feeling that I am not woman enough. A constant reminder there is something definitely wrong with me. When will I short circuit?"
Presented by Proudly Asian Theatre and directed, produced and written by women, Not Woman Enough is on at Auckland's Basement Theatre from 28 March to 1 April. Support a fellow WIFT-er, and enjoy a night at out the theatre!