Editor’s note: This article references sexual assault
Illinois Wesleyan’s student-run Phoenix Theatre performed “The P*ssy Grabber Plays” on Sept. 26 and 27, which according to the Phoenix Theatre’s instagram post, followed “women affected by political sexual abuse” by Donald Trump and “explores themes of reclaiming one’s self after a life-altering trauma.”
The cramped black box theatre had an enthusiastic audience of approximately 40 people plus a row of about 15 sitting on the floor in front of the stage.
Sophomore Mia Wheaton said she wanted “to do the play justice so that it has the impact that it should.” According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, 81% of women and 43% of men have reported instances of sexual harassment. “No matter what, the play is supposed to make the audience uncomfortable,” Wheaton said.
Confronting the horrible truths of our current president’s actions has been, and will continue to be, imperative to emotional healing.
Hannah Wynhoff (left) and Mia Wheaton (right) Photo: Phoenix Theatre
Sophomore Paul Schultz said that as the “only guy in a play about women being sexually assaulted,” his performance was not something he wanted to do, but something he needed to do. He said his part in the play made him realize how traumatic events, like sexual assault, affect not only the person who directly experiences it, but also the social networks of that person such as their close family and friends.
Schultz said “I viewed [the play] as a story about sexual assault. It is inherently political, but the fact that it is inherently political is good. It means it can be taken and applied to other contexts like the Cornell University incidents” where seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity allegedly gang-raped a former student in 2024 for hours according to The Cornell Daily Sun, the student run newspaper at the university. Allegedly two of the men were expelled, while the others were asked to write an essay.
“All this ugliness. What do we do with all this ugliness?” said Mikah Preston in their role as Jill Harth, one of the women sexually assaulted by Trump, referencing the trauma it caused the women who spoke out against Trump.
The play calls out how many women were afraid to come forward, or were prevented; and if they did, they received harsh scrutiny and even death threats.
The play provoked a range of emotions from the audience, as it ranged from light-hearted comedy to frustrated outrage. It also references how, even though many women came forward, Donald Trump became the president.
The play was directed by Aubrey Elson, assistant professor of acting, voice, and speech; the assistant director was Mikah Preston. It was originally written by playwrights: Julia Brownell, Sam Chanse, Halley Feiffer, Sharon Kenny, Melissa Li, Sharyn Rothstein, Natasha Stoynoff, Bess Wohl and Anna Ziegleron.
Proceeds from sticker sales that were sold before the performance went to the National Organization for Women.
