This piece explores the aftermath of vaginal rape from the perspective of the victim, shortly after November 8, 2016. An unnamed nude woman, Woman, speaks directly to the audience. She was raped at a party and is pressing charges. Woman worries Trump has brought a new paradigm where a rapist could deny the charges because a victim isn’t “assaultable.”

Instead of espousing dismay or disdain for this indignity—Woman adjusts to this reality and begins the campaign to prove her worth in the context of the male gaze. She’s desperate to endear herself and brings her A-game. Things start slow with the offer of sub-par snacks (slightly stale popcorn and Russian hard candy) in a container that’s not service quality, the best she could do without notice. The food potently communicates a type of commitment as well as desperation and possibly lack of savvy.

Then, Woman expediently trims a large excess of pubic hair with a beard trimmer that materializes suddenly. It’s delightfully ridiculous but aware that ritualistic/public cutting of hair, especially women’s, is a dense subject. It also echoes of any sickening self-mutilation that women (are expected to) (unwillfully) endure to meet prevailing beauty norms.

Woman segues into a series of unseemly jokes about rape kits. These observations are wildly ironic but intentionally not funny. The anti-humor creates palpable discomfort. Some react as though I—Courtney the performer, not Woman—of the performance, am floundering: wincing, empathizing, visibly disgusted, etc. When Woman reveals that she knows her attempt at stand up comedy was a failure, the tension dissolves in an instant.

Rusty at first, she slam dunks her second attempt at the “talent portion of the interrogation,” with wholesome, all-American baton twirling and tap dancing while humming the chorus of “Stars and Stripes Forever” with audience participation.