Students produce self-funded play ‘The Good Body’

Aleah Gracia

Advertising Editor

The 400 building will be seeing some thing other than the usual lectures this April, thanks to some motivated theater students. Eve Ensler’s “The Good Body” will be brought to Shasta College, courtesy of Hillary McNeill and Megan LaMantia-Bishop, theater students of Shasta College. Both of whom were previously in “The Vagina Monologues” also written by Eve Ensler.

Also featured in the play will be Stephanie Winney (also previously in “The Vagina Monologues”), Brook Goforth, Elizabeth Johnson, Heather Pate and Rebecca Donahue.

The play will also be featured in The Vintners Cellar downtown on April 5, 12, and 19. Tickets there will be $20 dollars but will also be extra enticing as they come with a glass of wine to enjoy with your play--21 years and older only please.

Ensler goes on a journey to love her stomach in this follow up to “The Vagina Monologues.” (Unfortunately her self loathing seems to have moved from her Vagina to her Stomach.)

Meeting several women along the way it tells of her thoughts, and gives each woman a different take on their body. Some of them love their bodies, and some of them hate them.

An amazing story of what women will do just to be happy with themselves.

Completely student-run, with no budget, “The Good Body” at first had trouble finding a venue, with Shasta College’s theater under renovation. While the Vintners Cellar helps out with some of the show dates most of the shows will be held in the 400 auditorium room connected to the theater on the West side.

When asked why this play was completely student run, Megan and Hillary replied “Well, why not?”

Why not indeed, both students have taken enough theater courses and been in enough productions that they wanted to use some of the knowledge they had been given. Not just in acting but utilizing their knowledge to direct and produce, or even writing.

“We really want it to do well,” said McNeil since this is their first time producing a play.

Hopefully if all goes well there will be more student-run productions performed on campus.

Actress Heather Pate (who plays Carmen, among other roles.) had wanted to do this play for a while and was her idea originally. When all of the girls got together one night an event was born for the audiences viewing pleasure.

Playing in the 400 room April 13, 14, 15, 21, and 22. Tickets will be $8 and shows start at 8 p.m.

The Vintners Cellar shows times are at 7:30 p.m. Please come and see the show as all proceeds will go toward the theater putting on more student run productions. The play has PG-13 rating due the mention of some adult material.