Eve Ensler Photo by Evgenia Eliseeva

In the Body of the World is a world-premiere stage adaptation of Ensler's 2013 memoir of the same name which chronicles her journey through Stage III/IV uterine cancer, treatment and healing, and how she reconnected to her body by forging a connection with the planet via the resilience of women whose stories inspired and changed her. Ensler is both the writer and performer of the piece at the American Repertory Theater, under the direction of Artistic Director Diane Paulus, who commissioned the one-woman show after reading the memoir. Although she is alone on the stage, Ensler is not the only character in the story as she introduces us to her large circle of friends, doctors, nurses, healers, family members, and Mama C, the head of City of Joy Women's Center. She makes them all come alive through the power of their stories, her words, and the strong emotional ties that bind her to them.

Ensler's performance is engaging and without a shred of artifice as she obliterates the fourth wall and addresses the audience in an intimate, conversational style. The design elements created by Myung Hee Cho (set and costume), Jen Schriever (lighting), M.L. Dogg (sound), and Finn Ross (projection) constitute a palette of colors and sounds that take us from Bukavu in the Congo to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, from a lush green forest to the hellfire of the poisonous chemo regime, and from the trippy comfort state attained by smoking pot to a catharsis at the coastal bedside of her dying mother. The non-linear journey sometimes feels a little disjointed, but Ensler always brings it back to the central theme of reconnecting with her body, making herself whole, and finding her place in the world.

One of the remarkable aspects of In the Body of the World is the degree to which Ensler can relate the most harrowing experiences with humor and grace. In her worst moments, she became more empathic, as if she understood that being in touch with the pain of others enabled her to share her own horrific pain and make it more bearable. She shares her story now in an effort to take back her body and take back her power, while offering the same prescription to other women. The women who survive gender violence and become part of a class at the transformational City of Joy are able to heal by turning their pain into power. After six months, they return to their communities as leaders, teaching other women that love has more power to heal than medicine. Building on the foundation of V-Day and City of Joy, in 2012 Ensler launched One Billion Rising, a global campaign in over 200 countries to demand an end to violence against women and girls. As long as the stories are told, the message spreads, and that is the power of theater.

Throughout the run of the play, audiences are invited to participate in "Act II," a series of post-performance conversations that will feature a roster of guests including doctors, activists, and scholars from Harvard University, the Mayo Clinic, and other organizations.

In the Body of the World, performances through May 29, 2016, at American Repertory Theater, Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA; Box Office 617-547-8300 or www.americanrepertorytheater.org.

Written & Performed by Eve Ensler; Set and Costume Design, Myung Hee Cho; Lighting Design, Jen Schriever; Sound Design, M.L. Dogg; Projection Design, Finn Ross; Movement, Jill Johnson; Associate Director, Allegra Libonati; Production Stage Manager, Carolyn Rae Boyd; Directed by Diane Paulus