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Seeing the Signals: ASNIC Hosts Humorous Sex Ed
Photo Credits:
Taylor Nadauld
Williams and Sanders performing “Sex Signals”
Things got a little steamy in the SUB this week.
Catharsis Productions hit North Idaho College Thursday night, presented by ASNIC, with their production of “Sex Signals”, a crass comedy about all the things we think we know about sex and date rape.
The show starred Chris Sanders and Hilary Williams…and that’s really all the explanation you get going in. Even Sanders had trouble describing it.
“It’s a funny, two-person, sort of improve, partially-scripted, part audience interaction show about men, women, dating, sex, hooking up, and ultimately we approach the topic of sexual violence, but using humor throughout to make a difficult topic to talk about a bit easier to talk about.”
This is Catharsis Productions’ 14th year of “Sex Signals” as a show. It was originally created by two people who met at a one-person show competition. The two became friends and had a conversation about the topic of sex and sexual assault.
“It kind of turns into this show,” said Sanders. “We’re really kind of playing those two people. We’re still ourselves up there, but we’re kind of playing the conversation that they had.”
There was no holding back in this performance. Viewers were warned beforehand that content could be considered graphic by some, and were invited to leave if they felt the content became offensive. Most people though, were happy to stay. And not just for the wild, brash humor.
“I think that it’s good that we brought this here to educate the students,” said Richard Fortman, NIC Student Body President. “I like the fact that they’re using humor and breaking the tension to get [the audience] to open up so then they could learn. It was a good way to do that. I thought it was awesome.”
The show, which is partly scripted and partly laced with the impromptu wit of Sanders and Williams, was constantly fed by audience participation. Students stood to offer ideas and debates on opinions often became heated.
Taylor Nadauld
An NIC students offers his input at “Sex Signals”
At one point during the show, audience members discovered pieces of paper that read “STOP” taped under their chairs for them to hold up during the performance as Sanders and Williams created typical but hypothetical date rape scenarios. As soon as students felt that things were taking a turn for the worst, they were instructed to raise their papers.
For some those moments came early. For some they never came at all. There was contention in the room.
Taylor Nadauld
Audience members hold up “STOP” signs at a performance of “Sex Signals”
But mostly, there was laughter.
“That’s what makes it funny is when people realize how absurd it is,” said Williams. “And they do laugh, because it’s actually kind of crazy that we think this way or that we’ve been led to think this way [about sex].”
The show was written to be funny, engaging, and exciting right off the bat. And that it was. The audience was constantly laughing, cheering, clapping, or gasping at the intensity of it all. But by the end, a more somber tone took over as the reality and seriousness of the issue became fully apparent.
Sanders and Williams took the time to promote Rainn.org, the nation’s largest anti-sexual assault organization, Planned Parenthood, which had a booth set up outside of the room for students, and NIC’s own Counseling Center.
The two also pulled out free T-shirts for two members of the audience to keep if they made a pledge to help their friends, and strangers, out of dangerous sexual situations.
Taylor Nadauld
NIC student, Cheyenne Salazar, takes a pledge to keep others safe from dangerous sexual situations at “Sex Signals”
“I thought it was a really powerful message and I thought they did a pretty good job on showing both viewpoints of it,” said Cheyenne Salazar, who was chosen for a T-shirt and made the pledge.
“I’m definitely going to wear this [shirt] around. I enjoyed it just for the show. I really respect the way that people stand up for victims…I’m really happy they have stuff like this at the college for people to see.”
The show touched on many different topics, but ultimately, the overall goal was to cause a change in our thought processes when it comes to sex.
“There’s so many different things,” said Williams. “Just in general, how we talk about it; how can we change the way that we talk about it so that these things do change?”
Sanders and Williams said that even though the show is funny and they want their audience to be able to laugh about it, the end goal is for viewers to grasp some major takeaway points, including thinking about cultural gender roles, accountability for crime, importance of consent, and safe communities.
Taylor Nadauld
Williams and Sanders get serious about “Sex Signals”
“[It is] to support those who have survived [rape],” said Sanders, “so that they feel comfortable enough that they feel like they can live in a community that if it were to happen to them, or if it has, they feel comfortable enough that they could report it and actually be believed, so that something will be done about it.”
“In most places, if you can imagine, people don’t report it much because they’re scared to do it, that they won’t believed, or that they’re going to be shunned in some way.”
“Other messages are of accountability when it comes to this crime; that accountability belongs to the perpetrator and not the victim at all.”
The show’s thesis statement, its main goal for the audience, was to cause a cultural shift in the way we think about the word, “consent”.
“A lot of people in our culture think that consent is just this thing that happens without any sort of verbal communication,” said Sanders.
Many students in attendance were there as a mandatory measure from the school. But by the end, most felt it was time well spent.
“It was funny,” said Daniel Lopez. “Not as bad as I expected it was going to be. It was a good experience for me to learn how to say no, and about all the signals, and you know, just that everyone’s prepared for the situation if they ever have it.”
Taylor Nadauld
Audience members hold up “STOP” signs at a performance of “Sex Signals”
For more information on date rape, sexual assault, “Sex Signals” and more, you can visit rainn.org, catharsisproductions.com, or visit the NIC counseling center.
