Vogel: A Genius

Vogel took me completely by surprise the way she combined humor and delicate topics in her "Mammary Plays." Both “How I Learned to Drive” and “The Mineola Twins” explored the power and importance of family. Li’l Bit finds the security of familiarity in the pedophilic Uncle Peck. Peck takes advantage of Li’l Bit’s vulnerability and isolation. He manipulates her entire being, from her thoughts to her “celestial orbs”. However, there is a shift in power from Peck to Li’l Bit as Peck’s dependency deepens. Despite its disturbing nature, “How I Learned to Drive” is a love story. Li’l Bit finds the nurturing love she’s missing in her home in Uncle Peck. He finds the adoration he needs in her.
In “The Mineola Twins,” Vogel plays with the meaning of family through the realm of sibling rivalry. Myrna and Myra foil each other which results in a rivalry with biblical connotations. They personify the two American extremes of the time periods. This play has many biblical allusions. Vogel “remixes” two very infamous biblical stories, giving them a modern twist causing a loss of their intended value and meaning. She retells the story of the prodigal son and of Jacob and Esau, both of which are about, or touch on sibling rivalry.
Sex also plays an important role in the plays. Sexual tension permeates and intensified Li’l Bit and Peck’s relationship. Sex is damaged the already tattered relationship between Myrna and Myra. Their opposing views on sex deepen the hostility between them. Myra works at Planned Parenthood, whereas Myrna, the “Puritan,” is against “tofu-eating-feminazi-fetus-flushing” women of the era.
Breasts also are quite important in the two plays. Li’l Bit is both praised and ridiculed for her “celestial orbs.” It’s Myrna “all-American knockers” that set her physically apart from her twin, Myra.
Vogel’s “Mammary Plays” are absolutely amazing in their ability to mimic an art only seen in novels, getting into the characters minds and thought processes.