Fringe Review

Shannon Liane Walsh is angry at her body. Specifically, she is angry at her uterus – or rather, the uterus she used to have. In “F*ck Uterus,” she traces her life history with her uterus. She harbors significant anger and resentment from this fraught relationship, which she shares in blunt terms with her audience. In fact, she begins the show with a quiz to assess her audience’s basic knowledge of female anatomy and possible tolerance for explicit language. Then, she issues a warning that words like “period,” “blood,” “cramps,” “pain,” “endometriosis,” and, of course, “uterus” are used throughout the show. The squeamish should exercise caution.

Walsh describes her bodily experiences and medical procedures in plain language, often peppered with crude words. She recounts her interactions with various doctors and medical facilities, both good and bad. As she reflects back on years of absent, incorrect, or failed treatments, the outrage and frustration she felt remain evident.

F*ck Uterus is staged simply with a microphone, a stool to hold a water glass, a slide show projected on the back wall of the stage, and a box crudely lettered “Soap Box,” which Walsh stands on briefly on several occasions. The slides recall “Death by Powerpoint” slide shows with too-small, hard-to-read read fonts rendered in hard-to-read pink letters.

With “F*ck Uterus,” Walsh aims on one hand to educate audiences about endometriosis and andenomyosis, and the effects of those conditions on women’s lives and careers. On the other hand, Walsh actively seeks to stimulate conversation about those issues, especially on the dismissal of women’s pain in and out of the medical profession. After the show, Walsh walked into the audience to respond to questions and encourage sharing.

The audience for the performance I attended on Sunday evening – men and women – responded warmly. Some expressed appreciation for the opportunity to learn and share about a taboo topic. The show is worth seeing for uterus owners past and present, and for anyone who cares about someone with a uterus.