WOMAN V. INTERNET Responds to Recent Scandals at CMAP

As the lid is being blown off the Harvey Weinstein, Louis CK - and now even Matt Lauer - scandals, a local playwright is bringing similar issues to the stage here in Metro-Detroit. WOMAN V. INTERNET, written and directed by Paige Vanzo is a poignant and somehow hilarious look into our cultural mirror.

The show explores what it means to be female in online and public spaces. Inspired by the #Gamergate controversy, and using real text from chat rooms and forums, the show follows one woman who travels down the rabbit hole looking for answers only to find it changes her life in absurd, hilarious and painful ways.

"I one-hundred percent believe that sometimes the best way to understand tragedy or the awful things others do is to laugh through it. I had no interest in writing a boring play about women being treated badly online or otherwise," says Vanzo. "The inspiration for this work was a need for total and complete honesty and the need to keep laughing despite what happens all around us. I jumped into this piece deciding to hold nothing back."

Vanzo certainly didn't hold back in terms of language. The show is not suitable for young audiences due to the content both written by Vanzo and pulled directly from chat rooms and online forums.

"I felt drawn to take the words and actions we usually view behind or on a screen and bring them into the performance. It's one thing to read threatening, ridiculous or vulgar content silently; it's an entirely different animal to hear it and SEE it on stage. Large portions of what you'll see in the show came almost word for word from posts, chats and forums"

Vanzo began writing the show after hearing an NPR interview discussing the #Gamergate controversy and the relentless harassment of key players in the controversy like Zoe Quinn and Anita Sarkeesian.

"The thing that really shook me was the visceral death threat against Sarkeesian before her Utah State University appearance. When I heard it, I was like 'Wow. Someone actually threatened to kill her because she's speaking out about the misrepresentation of women in video games.' I started writing the show later that night." Vanzo said.

The full cast includes Mitchell Haba, Alexis Barrera, Ann Macheson, Jeff Priskorn, & Josh Noori. Featuring costume & set design by Dorothy Melander-Dayton, media design by Carrie Morris, and choreography by Meredith Gifford.

You can see Woman V. Internet December 14-16 at 8:00 PM and December 17 at 2:00 PM. All performances at CMAP (Carrie Morris Arts Production) 2221 Carpenter Ave, Detroit, MI 48212. Tickets at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3182915 or at the door; $15 suggested donation. Presale is encouraged. Only 20 seats available per performance.

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