What: The Vagina Monologues
Where: The EMU Ballroom
When: Tonight and Friday, both at 7 p.m.
How Much: Tickets are $5 and are now on sale at the EMU Ticket Office.
V-Day has finally arrived, but the V isn’t just for Valentine’s. It also stands for Victory.
And Vagina.
At least, it does for the students involved in the production of The Vagina Monologues, which will be performed at the University at 7 p.m. both tonight and on Friday. Based on the book written by Eve Ensler, the Vagina Monologues addresses issues such as intimacy, vulnerability and sexual self-discovery. According to the book’s Web site, the stories embrace the complexity of female sexuality and discuss the forbidden topic of the female anatomy “down there.”
“The monologues can be perceived as only a women’s event, but men should come out, too. It’s educational, not opinionating” said University junior and cast member Nicole Tomlin, who will be acting in the “My Angry Vagina” skit.
She explained that other schools around the country have been experiencing controversies surrounding the idea of allowing students to perform The Vagina Monologues.
“Some people think the issues we talk about in the performance aren’t important or that they’re too old and kind of irrelevant. But these are still important issues to address.”
Tomlin works at the ASUO Women’s Center in the EMU and had no idea what the fuss was all about before she got involved.
“They’re amazing stories that offer different perspectives,” she said. “I didn’t realize how amazing vaginas are.”
“It’s very educational in a very entertaining way,” she said. “It opens up dialogue about domestic abuse. It’s about being proud of your body and celebrating it.”
The concept of talking about something that’s rarely talked about, even considered taboo, is another appealing aspect.
One of Claire Sharman’s favorite lines in the production, she said, is “Women secretly love to talk about their vaginas. They get very excited, mainly because no one’s ever asked them before.”
Sharman, a University sophomore who also acts in the “My Angry Vagina” skit in the play, said this statement has a lot of truth to it.
“It’s just one of those weird things we don’t talk about,” said Sharman. “Guys talk about their penises, so we should be able to talk about our vaginas.”
To her, this is one of the most valuable things she took away from the experience. She said one of the coolest things she learned from the production is that “it’s okay to talk about your vagina.”
Sharman said that “if you have a vagina or love someone who has a vagina, you should come out.”
The cast has been practicing twice a week since the middle of December. Each woman in the production was nominated for a role, and then attended an initial audition meeting to divvy up who would play each part.
The Vagina Monologues will be performed in the Erb Memorial Union Ballroom both tonight and Friday at 7 p.m. The show will include a sign language interpreter for the hearing impaired. Tickets are $5 and are now on sale at the EMU Ticket Office.
Click here to view the related online video.