Some cried. Some said they didn’t feel represented. Others said they did the best they could. Nearly everyone agreed, however, that the ASUO Women’s Center’s production of “The Vagina Monologues” could have been done differently.
Tension and emotion permeated the EMU Fir Room on Monday as participants, observers and protesters of the production aired their thoughts and feelings about last weekend’s play and initiated plans to meet again.
About 20 people attended the event, which was scheduled months before the weekend protests.
Forum participants debated racism, sexuality, weight, definitions of feminism, age and inclusivity in the production, as well as the future of “The Vagina Monologues” at the University.
“I’m so sorry,” assistant director Natalie Mays said as tears ran down her cheeks. “I feel so guilty for not representing people and all the women. That’s all I wanted to do is create a safe space for women.”
Mays later defended her decisions, saying that she was proud of the show and her work, and added that she did her best to be inclusive given constraints on the production.
She said she and show director Katie McClatchey — who did not attend the forum — cast based on a pool of about 85 women who tried out for the production.
Forum participants said the play’s producers could have done more outreach to get more types of women to try out. They also suggested that in the future, organizers could have more kinds of women involved in producing the play, along with more communitywide discussions about concerns regarding the play. They also suggested that a forum be held after each night’s show to immediately address issues about the production.

The show’s producer, Guru Simrat Khalsa, suggested what she called a “V-Board,” which would represent a diversity of women and address concerns raised in the forum before work begins on next year’s production.
She said she felt good that people came and gave feedback.
“‘The Vagina Monologues’ often brings up issues that are really close to people,” she said. “It brings up a lot of loaded subjects.”
Senior Sarah Blustein, who attended the forum and also protested the production during the weekend, said she tried out for the play and was called back but decided not to participate. She and others at the forum said they felt that the play’s environment was not welcoming to all types of women. Blustein identified herself as a queer Jewish feminist.
“(‘The Vagina Monologues’) is one of the few ways that we as a society look at women and talk about sexuality, but in this particular case we weren’t looking at what we hear when we say ‘women,’” she said.
She said she was upset that women of color, overweight women and gay women were underrepresented in the play or not represented at all.
Blustein said she felt like the forum addressed some of the demonstrators’ concerns, but more dialogue about women’s issues in the play is needed.
Senior Lezlie Frye said the issues in the show need to be understood within the context of greater societal problems surrounding sexuality, gender and racism.
“Nobody here is a bad person,” she said. “Nobody here failed at the show. We failed as a community.”

• Protesters
  undermined the diversity they sought – Feb 17, 2004
• Tensions
  explode at ‘Vagina’ discussion – Feb 17, 2004
• ‘Vagina
  Monologues’ draws large crowds as well as protesters – Feb 16, 2004
• ‘Vagina
  Monologues’ put on in celebration of V-Day – Feb 12, 2004