"Show Some Skin: It's Complicated," a performance of 27 anonymously submitted dialogues by 18 actors, opened Thursday night at the Carey Auditorium of Hesburgh Library with consecutive performances the following two nights.
While last year's show "The Race Monologues" centered on race and ethnicity, "Show Some Skin" broadened its focus to include all forms of identity at Notre Dame.
Sophomore Monica McEvoy, an actor in the show, said she joined after stage manager Sarah Yunjung Jung told her she would be a good fit for this year's changed focus.
"I've always wanted to be involved in something like this on campus," McEvoy said. "Sarah really encouraged me to actually do it."
The dialoguesMcEvoy and her fellow actors performed ranged from topics of depression to race, which she said made the show more comprehensive and relatable for all audience members.
Those who participate in the show are able to see how brave these anonymous writers really are, McEvoy said. While the writers use their talent to create these dialogues, the actors use their passion to perform on the authors' behalf.
"It's one of the most gratifying experiences I've ever been involved in," she said. "These voices, the anonymous writers that have submitted these pieces, it's nice that actors are sharing their story for them."
Besides acting her two dialogues titled "The Story of Bread" and "Average ND," McEvoy also participated in several of the other skits.
"They had people in the background in some of them so I was a kindergartener coloring with crayons in one of them, I was a person in a lineup in the back in another," she said. "I also played a pale person in one of the pieces."
Once students participate in the show as actors, they are not allowed to act again. McEvoy said the creators of the show want to have different people involved each year.
"I can't be an actor again, but I'm definitely considering being part of the production in some form," she said.
She said she may join the storyboard team or even submit an anonymous piece.
McEvoy enjoyed the experience not only because of the content but also because of the friends she made as well.
"I met a lot of really cool people that I wouldn't have known at all otherwise," she said. "We're just not from the same circles."
Sophomore Katelyn Virga attended the show after seeing how hard one of her friends was working on her pieces for the show. After hearing her perform her dialogues in the dorm, Virga said she became interested in the idea and decided to see the whole production.
"I really enjoyed it," she said. "I like how they incorporated not just racial issues but also stories of people dealing with body image issues, self-confidence and finding themselves."
Stories on students dealing with bulimia and anorexia also were voiced during the show. Virga said those stories provided a new perspective on how these issues can affect anyone at Notre Dame.
"That could be anyone down the hall," she said. "We just don't know."
Virga said students need to be careful not to judge, and they should watch what they say.
"Even comments we say to our friends that we consider harmless could affect someone, could hurt them without us even knowing it," she said.
The dialogues often contained comic relief portions scattered throughout, she said. The stories varied in length, some lasting several minutes while the shortest was one line. Virga said the lines were powerful regardless of the length.
As a follow-up to the show, McEvoy said the production team and faculty advisors will host a conversation open to any audience members who attended one of the performances. The discussion will take place on April 12 from 6-8 p.m. in the Notre Dame Room of LaFortune Student Center.
As stated in the Show Some Skin pamphlet, students are welcomed to share their thoughts on the dialogues or their own stories and learn more about getting involved in the show next year.
