Last Sunday, Monologues took the stage for the 11th year in a row, as Goshen College students performed stories from around the GC community highlighting the feminine experience.
Mariela Esparza is a senior English major who served on the committee, and remembered how the language used has changed over the years.“Monologues started as a space for people whose biological sex was female,” Esparza said. “It was really only last year on the committee that we decided, ‘hey, we have to really think about our language.’ Before our language was ‘female identifying,’ and then we changed to ‘feminine identifying.’”
For the first time since 2019, it took place in Umble Center instead of the Church-Chapel, which was occupied for the funeral of Mary Oyer.
“I personally really liked [being in Umble],” Esparza said. “I think the cast and rest of the committee also enjoyed it. We were kind of thrown at first … it was kind of last minute that we got moved. There were some logistics things that we were kind of trying to figure out. It was a little hard.”
Lucca Kauffman, a first-year undeclared major, enjoyed getting the chance to perform in Umble.
“I liked how there was a separation from the stage and the audience,” Kauffman said. “It felt even more like a safe space because it was like a barrier.”
“[It felt like], these people are telling a story and it’s not just like sharing a little tidbit in convo or something,” she said. “I think I wanna do more next year. I mean, I only did one group monologue this year … I’ll want to do more than one next year.”
Students who are interested in writing or performing at Monologues will have opportunities to get involved and more information next fall.
For Esparza, it was her last time both performing and being on the committee. She offered some words to the GC students who will carry on Monologues in the years to come.
“I would just say to remember why Monologues sparked your interest … I think for most people that are in Monologues, the ‘why’ is about bettering our campus community as a whole.”
