The Heidi Chronicles

Feminism is not a cause I have ever aligned myself with or have felt the need to follow and support. Sure, I support equal pay and equal opportunity, but I feel that fighting in the manner that women have over the past 4 or 5 decades can actually close doors on opportunities. They are too busy fighting for the cause to notice doors opening as well as slow, but gradual progress being made in the corporate world. I will continue to stand up for my own rights as a woman in the "working" world, but do not plan on spending my life wishing that women were considered equal when I have a chance to make a good life for myself right in front of me.

All that said, I found the script of "The Heidi Chronicles" a so-called good read. I enjoyed the banter between Heidi and Scoop, and understood the friendship between her and Peter. I understood the issues, but reading it made these issues easier to overlook. To me, it was simply a story that related to art and explained the history of the feminist movement - - well-written and to the point. However, the play was a different story....

At first, I walked out of the play wishing I had spent the past 3 hours in a very different manner. I couldn't quite understand how a script that was so easy to read could have possibly taken that long to act out - - it just didn't seem possible! I felt that Heidi came across as "wishy-washy" and was never able to make up her mind about whether or not she wanted to be a true feminist. Her friends continued to fight for the cause, but also continued to be very unhappy - - often a "red" flag for people that something might need to change. Overall, I felt the play gave a good background on the feminist movement and was well-executed, but at this point, really did not enjoy it.

However, after listening to the actors speak in class in Friday and hearing that actor playing Heidi had the same thoughts as I did, I can soften my critique a little bit. I had felt the whole time that Heidi was simply a spectator to the feminist movement - - she was never able to make up her mind - - but I felt that everyone thought that she was a definite part of it. When I heard the woman speak who acted as Heidi and explain that she tried to portray Heidi in that way, it made a bit more sense why she seemed so "wishy washy". I do think that the actors did quite a good job portraying these characters while maintaining their own interpretation of a complicated storyline and movement.

I do not think that I will ever be behind the feminist movement, but I do understand a bit more as to where these women are coming from. My own opinion is that maybe they need to be more open to the opportunities in front of them instead of always fighting for better ones - - they might be surprised what doors open up.