“If your vagina could talk, what would it say?” Girls, I’ll bet you never thought of that one before! This is one of the many questions addressed in Eve Ensler’s “The Vagina Monologues.” The monologues chronicle the responses of 200 women interviewed about their vaginas *********– what their vaginas might want to wear, what their vaginas might be called (e.g. “powderbox,” “wee wee” and “coochi snorcher”), and the various sexual encounters that their vaginas have had *******– both bad and good.
“Hold on a second,” some of you might be saying. “Since when does a woman’s vagina have a personality? Pussy is pussy!” (Can we print that?) At the core of Ensler’s project, however, is the message that every woman’s vagina is beautiful and unique in its own way, and that every vagina has a story. Think about *****that******* the next time you have sex.
This past weekend, a group of talented actresses from our school put on the production “The Vagina Monologues.” The show had a great turnout, and the audience’s responses were positive and enthusiastic. Heather Branstiter, a junior who currently co-facilitates a women’s group at the Fox Valley Sexual Assault Crisis Center, recommended that everyone see the production.
“From my experiences volunteering and seeing this performance, I realize how important it is for women to be aware of that part of their body and to respect it. Vaginas need to be talked about and not just shut out,” she said.
The audience experienced various emotions throughout the production: during some of the monologues, people howled with laughter, while other monologues brought tears to people’s eyes. Topics addressed in the monologues ranged from menstruation and sexual gratification to graver issues such as rape and genital mutilation. Between monologues a woman playing Ensler included various facts regarding women’s vaginas, such as how they have been abused throughout history and why they should be celebrated.
Paris Brown, a sophomore involved in the production, explained that “being in ‘The Vagina Monologues’ helped me to learn more about myself as a woman.”
The proceeds from the performance will be donated to several charities: the Fox Valley Sexual Assault Crisis Center, Men Can Stop Rape, and KIWOHEDE of Tanzania, Africa. “The Vagina Monologues” is a powerful narrative which gives women voice through the most personal part of their bodies. Congrats to all the girls who gave such an honest and sincere performance and to everyone involved in the production, and thanks for bringing awareness to our campus.