I AM THE REINCARNATION OF SYLVIA PLATH

I Am the Reincarnation of Sylvia Plath

A woman, in a kitchen—though a different kind of kitchen. Because in this kitchen, nothing is being cooked. Perhaps only a suicide. After all, she flirts with death every day. But before she makes her decision, she must first confess what weighs on her.

And manage, for once, to reach completion—since in sex, she never quite does.

And to share some of her psychological traumas with her vibrator.

And to try to understand why her body, and her very existence, feel so profoundly lonely.

And to do a little sexting.

And to watch some of her favorite films.

And to leave behind a will.

And to write a few songs.

And to not ask for one last kiss. From someone who might be worth dying for.

As open as we’ve become as a society on issues that were once considered private, the stigma around our emotional and sexual difficulties remains insurmountable. We speak easily about our physical health, but we still find it incredibly uncomfortable to talk about anxiety, depression, our sexual entanglements or fantasies, or the uncontrollable sense of futility and loneliness.

“She” – with sharp humor and raw honesty – satirizes the digitization of sexual life, the power of trauma, the deep roots of patriarchy which, no matter how consciously we now try to cast it off, has already—subtly or obviously—defined us to a large extent; and the fear of what we most deeply desire: the exposure of our true selves and a deeper connection with another being. Or two. Or three. Or countless.

“Is there an app where people can cuddle to sleep? Just for a night, a one-night nap. And in the morning, each goes home or to work, wherever they want. No strings attached—you just show up in your pajamas, we lie down, and sleep holding each other. We might not even exchange names, not even say goodnight. But we hold each other like we’ve known each other forever. There isn’t one? What a shame.”

Through the desperate “baring” of her most hidden and unseen sides before an audience—without fear or shame (after all, she’s probably going to die right after)—she discovers that there is beauty even in the darkest places. Because the more we accept them and share them, the more we step into the light. And then we see—we’re not really that alone.

“I Am the Reincarnation of Sylvia Plath” is a work that references Sylvia Plath. A work inspired by Sylvia Plath. And a work that is certainly not just about Sylvia Plath.