Review: THE BODY OF A WOMAN AS A BATTLEFIELD at ExPats Theatre

The Bosnian war left mass destruction and scattered people's lives. Over 2.2 million people were displaced, and it is estimated that between 20,000 to 50,000 women were raped during the war. The Body of a Woman as a Battlefield, written by Matei Visniec, tells the story of how the Bosnian War impacted two women from different sides of the word. In the spring of 1994, Kate (Anika Harden), a psychologist, is assigned to observe and care for the mental health of a Bosnian woman, Dorra (Danielle Scott), who was brutally raped, at a NATO hospital. ExPats Theatre's production of The Body of a Woman as a Battlefield, directed by Karin Rosnizeck, features two great actors, but stumbles with low production quality and a script which doesn't do its characters justice.

For the most part, this play is a portrait of a doctor consumed by her love of Freudian psychology, and this causes Dorra's story to be less centric within the play. Kate's insights are often depicted as monologues filled with psychotherapy buzzwords. She treats Dorra's trauma in an extremely clinical way, through her observations and notes. Dorra becomes a subject rather than a human being. Neither Kate nor the hospital provide Dorra with the resources she wants, and as a result, she must birth the baby of her rapist. Visniec's play doesn't provide both women the space to heal and connect with each other.

Scott and Harden both put in excellent performances and worked with the script they were given. Scott's performance as Dorra is harrowing and emotionally intense. There are moments within the play where Kate and Dorra first meet, and Dorra says nothing. You feel her pain and trauma with every breath, stance, and line. Harden delivers Kate's monologues about grave digging and her grandfather's stone cutting like poetry.

ExPats Theatre's production lacks quality production value. The set, which is constructed of hospital-like tarps on wheels, is flexible, but it causes the transitions between scenes to become stiff as actors try to rearrange each "wall" for the next scene. Delayed sound and lighting cues exacerbate these transitions. This production frequently uses projections, but they are a distraction, especially during Kate's monologues.

If you decide to see ExPats Theatre's The Body of a Woman as a Battlefield, be prepared to be emotionally drained due to the nature of the play's plot.

Running Time: 90 minutes with no intermission

Top image caption and credit: Anika Harden (Kate) and Danielle Scott (Dorra) in The Body of a Woman as a Battlefield. Photo credit: Teresa Castracane

The Body of a Woman as a Battlefield runs until May 21, 2023 at the Atlas Performing Arts Center in Washington D.C. Tickets can be purchased here.

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