Let Us Age: Constance Zimmer & Abby Epstein on Midlife Monologues, Menopause Truths & Women Rewriting the Narrative
Let Us Age: Constance Zimmer & Abby Epstein on Midlife Monologues, Menopause Truths & Women Rewriting the Narrative  
Podcast: The Big Silence
Published On: Wed Jul 23 2025
Description: What if midlife wasn’t something to fear, but something to own?In this empowering episode recorded live at the Women’s Health Summit in LA, Karena sits down with actor and activist Constance Zimmer and filmmaker Abby Epstein to talk about aging, hormones, Hollywood, and how women are finally telling the truth about what it means to grow older. From the early days of the Vagina Monologues to the debut of their new project Midlife Monologues, Constance and Abby are lighting up taboo topics with humor, vulnerability, and a whole lot of truth-telling. This episode will leave you inspired to embrace your story; wrinkles, wisdom, hot flashes, and all.What happens when women finally speak the unspeakable?Reframing aging, menopause, and midlife not as an ending, but a power-filled beginning.(00:00) The Midlife Glow-Up: Why Aging Is the New PrimeWhy the TikTok trend on women thriving in their 30s, 40s, and 50s is a needed cultural shiftDitching the age stigma and embracing confidence in midlifeHow storytelling has the power to normalize the aging experience(03:50) Hormones, Trauma & the Real Talk Around PerimenopauseKarena opens up about early menopause symptoms and trauma-related health shiftsAbby shares insights from her certification as a midlife menopause coachWhy we need to stop associating menopause with a number — and start listening to our bodiesThe double-edged sword of hormone therapy and wellness marketing: empowerment vs. exploitation(08:45) From Hollywood to Hormones: Women's Stories on StageConstance reflects on strong female roles and the scarcity of opportunities for women over 50How UnREAL and Entourage helped shift her career into meaningful, unapologetic charactersAbby shares how directing The Vagina Monologues uncovered deep stories from performers and audiences alikeThe emotional labor behind directing: holding space for women’s hidden truths(12:45) The Birth of the Midlife MonologuesHow a casual email turned into a groundbreaking collaboration between Constance and AbbyCollecting personal stories from peers and actors about aging, change, and identityWhy 2026 — the 30th anniversary of The Vagina Monologues — is the perfect time to launchTheir goal: create a theatrical space for stories that ripple into collective healing(14:45) Redefining Beauty, Power & Purpose as We AgeWhy aging women in Europe are revered — and how the U.S. is catching up (slowly)Constance’s motto: “Just let us age” — and why that’s still a radical statementThe cultural cost of ignoring women's health and midlife experienceAbby and Constance call for more visibility, celebration, and truth in women’s mediaGuest ResourcesFollow Constance on InstagramFollow Abby on InstagramSee the Midlife MonologuesIf this episode moved you, please consider supporting The Big Silence Foundation and exploring our resources:Connect with The Big Silence CommunityOrder: The Big Silence Memoir audiobookShop The Big...