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Several years ago, an Israeli actress in the local production of Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues said there was "nothing to" the penis. In response, Israeli playwright Rafael Milo-Amar crafted Phallus Hakadosh (The Holy Phallus), an extended monologue about rape, passion, disability, gay life and loneliness — told entirely from a penis's point of view.
    The play, which is entirely in Hebrew, has received mixed reviews during its current run at Tel Aviv's Habima National Theater. But foreign producers, among them a HBO executive, are lining up for translation rights, so it may be only a matter of time before an English production of the show hits America. Nerve spoke with Milo-Amar about Lenny Bruce, faking orgasms, and how he got away with turning religious leaders into phallic symbols. — Viva Sarah Press

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How is the phallus holy?
It's a satire. In the play, the penis portrays different characters. It lampoons a Christian priest, a Muslim cleric and a Jewish rabbi. I am not disrespectful of religion itself. I don't have a problem with different religions or with believers, but with the people who administrate the religions. The penis becomes holy and, in a way, a new religion comes about, that of The Holy Phallus. Also, there's a sketch in the show where the vagina shrieks out sounds of enjoyment and at the same time ponders a grocery list. The vagina can multi-task. The penis cannot do that, he's one-track-minded. He's exposed. The vagina can fake orgasm, the phallus cannot. He's sacred. And he's sanctified not because he necessarily wanted to be holy, but because reality forces him to be sacred.

How does modern Judaism deal with the penis?
It's a double standard: on one hand, Judaism is in favor of procreation, on the other hand, there's a fear of sexuality. I'm trying to show that just like God created the heart and the kidneys, he created the vagina and the penis. God gave us creativity and love. God could have created a sexual organ without feeling. So why did he make it so good if he's against it? God wants people to enjoy themselves. He is against rape but is in favor of love. The Holy Phallus is about love, not about sex.

Playwright Rafael Milo-Amar

How is the Muslim penis different from the Jewish penis?
I don't really know. Just as in Judaism, there are different groups within the Muslim population. I think the extremists react to the penis the same way the ultra-religious Jews do: with a lot of fear. In the Muslim community they have honor killings — if a woman cheats on her husband, her brother can kill her. They're still very closed about the issue. I don't think I could present my play to a Muslim audience.

The play ran in Tel Aviv, Israel's most secular city. Could it show in the more conservative capital, Jerusalem?
My play is intended for all audiences. I'll be happy if everyone comes to see it. I've been invited to stage it at the Khan Theater [an alternative playhouse in the capital].

How does the secular Israeli public react to the play?
I've been called sick and courageous by the same people. American stand-up comedian Lenny Bruce used to say in his shows, to a black audience, "nigger." Back then, that was a curse word of the highest power. And then he would say it over and over again until suddenly the meaning of the word would get lost. That happens in The Holy Phallus as well. When the play opens and actor Yuval Cohen says "vagina" and "penis," people at first show surprise. And then as the play continues, the words are repeated so often that they lose their controversial connotation.

Did you have any problems casting it?
Three actors turned down the solo part, one because of the material, two others because of scheduling conflicts, before I chose Yuval Cohen. He had trouble with the text at first, but slowly came around. He's not just playing a male member, but a penis with different characteristics.

What did you ask him to do in his audition?
We worked on the text like we would work on Shakespeare. We worked on all of his poses. He looks like a penis now. I wanted to create a balance between seriousness and cheekiness. There was no porn at rehearsals.

Of the different characters, which penis is the most controversial? Which is the audience favorite?
People were most shocked by the hermaphrodite. The character everyone likes is the crooked penis. He stands before God and pleads, "Just this once, let me perform correctly." We've all stood before God and asked for something, albeit not necessarily sex.

How would you describe the sexual culture in Israel?
When it comes to sexual problems, such as needing Viagra, the older generation is more open than the younger one. Overall, there's no openness about sex. Even though more than half the Israeli society is secular, it's a different type of secularism here that includes certain religious elements. You'd find it difficult to find a non-religious Israeli who doesn't celebrate religious holidays in some way or other. People are culturally traditional, and by default conservative in many respects. There are TV shows that deal with sex, but they're still aired late at night so that no one will see. That said, the attitude to sex is changing. My play is being staged at the national theater.

Phallus in Hebrew looks like the name, Paulus. Any confusion about the play's plot?
[Laughs] There was one well-to-do elderly couple who came to see the play and I have to say I was surprised to see them. After ten minutes they started shifting in their seats. After twenty minutes they were still obviously uncomfortable. At the end of the play they came up to me and told me I must change the play's name. They asked, "What is Holy Paulus? It sounds like a play about the church!" I said, "No, it's Holy Phallus, the story of a penis." So, now I've asked Habima to call the play in its brochure, Holy Phallus: The Story of a Penis.

How does The Holy Phallus compare to The Vagina Monologues?
The Vagina Monologues was overly serious. This play is an allegory. The penis gets stuck in the vagina and on its way out it meets different penises/male characters. I included a man with a crooked penis, a man who can't get it up, someone who is disabled, and a hermaphrodite. I kept to people who are looking for love. The truth is, you can't really compare the two plays just like you can't compare the vagina and the penis. I was told to do a three-person monologue like they did in Vagina Monologues. The premise of my play is that the penis is lonely; it has to be a one-man play. I am not against the vagina; I am in favor of the penis. The penis itself is comic. Its structure is funny, exposed, and vulnerable. It's not like a woman's vagina. If you see a naked woman, you don't really see her vagina. With men, you see it all.

How did the reception of The Holy Phallus differ from that of The Vagina Monologues?
The Vagina Monologues came to Habima after it was performed around the world. It came to Israel already with the stamp of approval from theaters and critics across the globe that it was art. It had a kosher stamp. We're fighting for the kosher stamp. [The Vagina Monologues was staged in Habima's main auditorium. The Holy Phallus is staged in the theater's basement.] In terms of success, I hope I get to where Vagina Monologues got.

Of the criticism leveled at the play, which affect you the most?
Some religious people posted messages on the Web that said my play is disgraceful and tasteless. I'm from a religious background, and nothing in the play was meant to be offensive. It's not a play against religious people. When I satirize ultra-orthodox men, I'm talking about those who will tear down a poster advertising the play, but will then cheat on their wives or beat their children. I have no problem with those who are truly religious. I do have a problem with those who pretend to be religious.

How will international audiences abroad receive your play?
I think in Japan it will be a huge success. Because of their repressed social society, I understand they have wild clubs where they unwind completely. As for Denmark and the U.S., I have no idea. I came at the play from the point of looking for love, so I think it is a theme that will succeed in all societies.  n°