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The Shape of a Girl / Jewel
In an imaginary letter to an absent older brother, Braidie struggles to understand the torture and killing of a teenage girl by a group of her school-mates. MacLeod’s young protagonist enters all the bright open avenues of peer-group play and the dark blind alleys of individual and collective terror, as she discovers within herself both the capacity for and the conflict between impulses of good and evil. In thinking back on the history of her own tight-knit group of friends, she begins to see how in the excitement of belonging to a ritualized, secret collective, the self is created by the increasing dehumanization of the other―of both the bully and the victim. The Shape of a Girl goes far beyond a simple dramatization of the seemingly inexplicable code of silence and tacit complicity which surrounded the sensationalized Reena Virk murder in 1997 on which the play is based. It speaks eloquently and compassionately to a world increasingly dominated by all forms of collectivised and ritualized tribalist hatred, and offers the embrace of trust as the only way out of this circle of violence.
Jewel is also based on a real-life catastrophe―the sinking of the Ocean Ranger , an oil rig off the coast of Newfoundland, on Valentine’s Day, 1982. Three years later, a widow, Marjorie Clifford, at home in her trailer in Fort St. John, British Columbia, begins to take the first step in understanding that the humanity of love, in all of its tentative frailty, uncertainty and promise, can free a life paralyzed and dominated by loss.
Jewel is also based on a real-life catastrophe―the sinking of the Ocean Ranger , an oil rig off the coast of Newfoundland, on Valentine’s Day, 1982. Three years later, a widow, Marjorie Clifford, at home in her trailer in Fort St. John, British Columbia, begins to take the first step in understanding that the humanity of love, in all of its tentative frailty, uncertainty and promise, can free a life paralyzed and dominated by loss.
96 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2002
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February 23, 2021read for english class :)
October 25, 2023
I decided to use The Shape of a Girl as my piece for DI. Every time I read it I feel more and more connected to the story.
Although I’ve never been exposed to anything near as what’s described in the book, I still see the hideous sides of my peers.
One of my favorite parts (out of many) is when Braidie’s mom is telling her that the killer has nice hair and then Braidie’s outburst when she’s finally had enough: “All right. Fuck you mother”.
The play is relatable and able to get the message across. The incorporation of the real life story is also super powerful.
Although I’ve never been exposed to anything near as what’s described in the book, I still see the hideous sides of my peers.
One of my favorite parts (out of many) is when Braidie’s mom is telling her that the killer has nice hair and then Braidie’s outburst when she’s finally had enough: “All right. Fuck you mother”.
The play is relatable and able to get the message across. The incorporation of the real life story is also super powerful.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 3, 2021
"A girl in the shape of a monster; a monster in the shape of a girl"
Another show done. The Shape of a Girl is so different from anything I have done before. It is such a heavy story that is so important to be told. I love shows that make the audience feel things and reflect on their life, and this show does exactly that.
Braidie's story is one that hits close to home to pretty much everyone who watches it, in one way or another. You may see yourself as a Braidie, a Sofie, an Adrienne, or even a combination of all three. This show really made me reflect on things in my life. Yes, definitely reflecting on when I was a teen, but these things aren't isolated to teenagers. It is just as real in adults; though it may take different forms, it is still very present everyday. I have a new perspective in life now, both as an actor and a person, especially because I dug so deep into this play for over 6 months.
While I dislike the way some things are worded so awkwardly in this show, those are easily overlooked (especially if you aren't trying to memorize it word for word like I had to) when you see the show as a whole. It is an important story, that combines a true story along side a fictional story that could very well be true in anyone's life.
The part that hit me hardest every performance was when Braidie talks about how she could divide up a room:
"When I look at the picture of the dead girl, a part of me gets it. And I hate that I do! I hate to be even partially composed of that sort of information! But right now, if you put me in a room filled with girls, girls my age that I've never seen before in my life - I could divide them all up. I could decide who goes where and just where I fit in without anyone even opening their mouth. They could be from this island, they could be from Taiwan. It doesn't matter. No one would have to say a word.
And you know something, Trevor? I could have divided up a room like that when I was in grade two. Grade fucking two!"
This section is so true. Painfully true. And I know it is true for women and girls everywhere in the world. I hate that it is true, but I agree with every word Braidie says here.
I am usually really good at separating myself from the character and the content of the show I am doing, but with this play was harder to do that, which was both a good and a bad thing. For a while, it was hard for me to work on this play, and my brain shut down and refused to memorize a couple scenes, in an attempt to protect me and keep me from bringing up things from my past. However, once I worked through that, I had a greater appreciation and understanding of the content of this play, and then was able to safely remove "Jelena" from the show like usual, and give "Braidie" what was needed.
A one person play requires much different acting compared to a regular play. It is more different than I expected it to be. That being said, once I got the hang of it, I really got it and enjoyed it in a way I never thought I would. I learned and grew so much in my acting through The Shape of a Girl, and I am so so soooo thankful for that.
If you asked me two months ago if I would do another one person play, I would have hesitated and not been sure how to answer that. At that point, I was so exhausted and sick of this, and I just didn't feel like anything was clicking. However, soon after that, it did CLICK and when it did, my whole outlook on this style of performing changed. If you ask me now if I would do another one person play, I would say yes in a heartbeat. Especially now that I know what I am capable of.
This boosted my confidence in my acting and really brought it to the next level.
Closing night was amazing. Yes, all my performances went well, but closing night was next level. It was by far the best performance of this show that I had ever done, and I think was actually the best acting I have ever done. It was so clean, and raw, and real. The audience was fantastic and gave me great energy. I am so pleased with how that performance went, that I still feel buzzed every time I think about it. It expanded my confidence as an actor, and showed me what I am capable of. I made the audience laugh, cry, gasp, and hold their breath exactly as I planned. To me, there is truly no better feeling than having an audience eating out of the palm of your hand, and I felt that that happened that night.
One last thing I want to document about this show, is that some serious life things happened during this process, that changed me and how I see the world. Most significantly, my dad passed away unexpectedly less than two weeks before opening night. While that was terrible in itself, he was also planning on watching this show. This would've been the first time he has seen me perform in over 15 years. On closing night, his urn sat in the lighting booth, and I like to think that he was still able to watch the show. In fact, he was there for the best performance of my life thus far. Maybe he was part of the reason I gave that next level performance. I hope he enjoyed it as much as I did.
Another show done. The Shape of a Girl is so different from anything I have done before. It is such a heavy story that is so important to be told. I love shows that make the audience feel things and reflect on their life, and this show does exactly that.
Braidie's story is one that hits close to home to pretty much everyone who watches it, in one way or another. You may see yourself as a Braidie, a Sofie, an Adrienne, or even a combination of all three. This show really made me reflect on things in my life. Yes, definitely reflecting on when I was a teen, but these things aren't isolated to teenagers. It is just as real in adults; though it may take different forms, it is still very present everyday. I have a new perspective in life now, both as an actor and a person, especially because I dug so deep into this play for over 6 months.
While I dislike the way some things are worded so awkwardly in this show, those are easily overlooked (especially if you aren't trying to memorize it word for word like I had to) when you see the show as a whole. It is an important story, that combines a true story along side a fictional story that could very well be true in anyone's life.
The part that hit me hardest every performance was when Braidie talks about how she could divide up a room:
"When I look at the picture of the dead girl, a part of me gets it. And I hate that I do! I hate to be even partially composed of that sort of information! But right now, if you put me in a room filled with girls, girls my age that I've never seen before in my life - I could divide them all up. I could decide who goes where and just where I fit in without anyone even opening their mouth. They could be from this island, they could be from Taiwan. It doesn't matter. No one would have to say a word.
And you know something, Trevor? I could have divided up a room like that when I was in grade two. Grade fucking two!"
This section is so true. Painfully true. And I know it is true for women and girls everywhere in the world. I hate that it is true, but I agree with every word Braidie says here.
I am usually really good at separating myself from the character and the content of the show I am doing, but with this play was harder to do that, which was both a good and a bad thing. For a while, it was hard for me to work on this play, and my brain shut down and refused to memorize a couple scenes, in an attempt to protect me and keep me from bringing up things from my past. However, once I worked through that, I had a greater appreciation and understanding of the content of this play, and then was able to safely remove "Jelena" from the show like usual, and give "Braidie" what was needed.
A one person play requires much different acting compared to a regular play. It is more different than I expected it to be. That being said, once I got the hang of it, I really got it and enjoyed it in a way I never thought I would. I learned and grew so much in my acting through The Shape of a Girl, and I am so so soooo thankful for that.
If you asked me two months ago if I would do another one person play, I would have hesitated and not been sure how to answer that. At that point, I was so exhausted and sick of this, and I just didn't feel like anything was clicking. However, soon after that, it did CLICK and when it did, my whole outlook on this style of performing changed. If you ask me now if I would do another one person play, I would say yes in a heartbeat. Especially now that I know what I am capable of.
This boosted my confidence in my acting and really brought it to the next level.
Closing night was amazing. Yes, all my performances went well, but closing night was next level. It was by far the best performance of this show that I had ever done, and I think was actually the best acting I have ever done. It was so clean, and raw, and real. The audience was fantastic and gave me great energy. I am so pleased with how that performance went, that I still feel buzzed every time I think about it. It expanded my confidence as an actor, and showed me what I am capable of. I made the audience laugh, cry, gasp, and hold their breath exactly as I planned. To me, there is truly no better feeling than having an audience eating out of the palm of your hand, and I felt that that happened that night.
One last thing I want to document about this show, is that some serious life things happened during this process, that changed me and how I see the world. Most significantly, my dad passed away unexpectedly less than two weeks before opening night. While that was terrible in itself, he was also planning on watching this show. This would've been the first time he has seen me perform in over 15 years. On closing night, his urn sat in the lighting booth, and I like to think that he was still able to watch the show. In fact, he was there for the best performance of my life thus far. Maybe he was part of the reason I gave that next level performance. I hope he enjoyed it as much as I did.
November 21, 2024
very insightful as a girl (i am a girl)
May 6, 2022
This is a really amazing play that examines the scary reality of female bullying. As a high school teacher I see a lot of bullying (although it may not be as severe as this novel) the mistreatment damages confidence, trust, and independent thinking amongst these groups. I am hopefully in studying this play males will be aware of the severity of this mistreatment and females will realize it is important to stand up Against injustices regardless of threats to social standing.
April 18, 2023
This one-act monologue play is inspired by the real events that took place in 1997, when Reena Virk was murdered by classmates. In The Shape of a Girl, we meet Braidie, a confused teenaged girl recounting her life and friendships via letters to her brother Trevor. I read this as my grade ten class is currently reading it, and it was incredibly moving. I think the content and descriptions of bullying and the bystander effect are essential to discuss with high school-aged students.
Want to read
April 23, 2025Cutting is for The Shape of a Girl
By Joan MacLeod
By Joan MacLeod
Read
September 30, 2025read this for my tya class
December 13, 2025
Very well done except for language. Read with H for English assignment. Thought provoking.
March 17, 2014
Currently doing this as my school production this year. It has a strong message and lots of questions that make the audience think as well as have the audience ask their own questions. Playing Braidie is different. She's so normal yet completely different from myself. It is a challenge, but it is one I am overcoming.
The Shape of a Girl is beautiful, and shows well what goes on inside the mind of a teenage girl.
The Shape of a Girl is beautiful, and shows well what goes on inside the mind of a teenage girl.
March 26, 2012
I only read "Shape of a Girl" and I loved it. It gives a brief, yet accurate, look into the viciousness of girls. The characterization is spot on. It's heartbreaking.
October 28, 2014
Read 'The Shape of a Girl' only.
January 9, 2015
Powerful. Poetic. Important voices of women. The Shape of a Girl's Braidie on girl violence and bullying. Jewel's Marjorie on grieving.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews