BEIJING - The Chinese version of The Vagina Monologues – entitled “She Says” – was performed by a controversial feminist group on March 25th in Beijing. While the first five scenes went smoothly, during the last scene, the performer was not allowed to use a microphone by some cultural censorship committee, due to sensitivity over the content.

The group, BCome, which was set up in 2012, became famous in the circle of Chinese feminists after the high-profile detentions in 2015. On the eve of International Women’s Day, five feminists (some of them are BCome members) were caught for the plan to distribute women’s self-protection leaflets on public transportation.

Since then, their performances, which concern women’s human rights, have been very low-profile, only open to small groups of audiences.

Two years after that detention, She Says is for the first time to be performed publicly in a theater. In the last scene of the drama, the performer, who supposed to imitate a woman moaning, sexually, had to shout loudly to be heard without a microphone.

As Zhu Chuan, a senior member of BCome, later explained: “While the performance was on, some officers from Chaoyang District’s Cultural Committee came to the theater for enquiry whether there were sensitive plots on. Under the pressure of those officers, the theater sponsor required us not to use a microphone. Otherwise, BCome may face more than $1,500 penalty.”

Appealing to women’s rights and sexual autonomy, the drama, adapted from Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues, starkly talked about the reality of sex and sexuality in China. In fact, all the chapters were originally written by BCome, covering Chinese local issues such as “virgin complex”, “the stigma of sex workers.”

Even though gender equality is a basic national policy of China, the government is still hostile to feminists group and their social activities. “Some Western hostile forces utilize feminism as a strategy to westernize and split our country,” said by the Chief Women Officer Song Xiuyan.

Despite the obstruction and chaos, the performance still welcomed over 300 audience. “I have no problem accepting this,” Guo Xi, a middle-aged male audience sitting in the first row, loudly applauded the performance. Beside him is a college girl, “I was so touched. This drama resonates with me. Love, betrayal, first night and happiness, those are things that I could not share with others.”

“In any case, we cherish every opportunity as well as platform to communicate with the mainstream and advocate feminism, " said Zhu Chuan with a firm hand. Soon, the BCome members will actively involve in the next rehearsal of the drama for French Culture Center.