Nan and the Lower Body
by Jessica Dickey

"To all who assume or insist that science and medicine be entirely cold, logical and objective, Nan and the Lower Body issues a forceful rejoinder… a play about the permeable boundary between research and lived reality, between workplace and domicile… Nan and the Lower Body serves as a vital reminder that we all need to be able to talk about women’s bodies and say the word ‘vagina’ without shame or titters."

— San Francisco Chronicle

"Remarkable… a timely catalyst for deep reflection about the journey of women."

— Aisle Seat

"Transforms a clinical subject into a human one… in Jessica Dickey’s one-act play… the Pap smear gets its due as a major medical milestone, and audiences get an informative, funny and touching peek into both the science and the scientists behind it, as well as a timely reminder of how science has too often neglected the health care concerns of half the population"

— Palo Alto Online

"An exploration of everything it means to be a woman. [The play] touches on the way women’s health has been traditionally neglected by the medical community. It ponders gender roles and the ways women have been sidelined by patriarchal culture. It even quietly highlights the stoicism women develop because of the pain – both physical and emotional – that is inherent to living in a female body… an entertaining and effective exploration of women’s issues performed in an original and compelling context."

— KQED

"Joyous… there is something important and uplifting about seeing such strong, vibrant, funny and intellectual characters celebrating women and the female body at a time when violent culture wars are bubbling on cable news shows and social media timelines."

— Los Altos Town Crier