“The Vagina Monologues.” The name is enough to turn away delicate minds. But somewhere between an intense curiosity and knowledge of past successes, Yeager Recital Hall filled every seat. The lights went out, there was the sound of high heels walking on stage and the production began.
[quote]I learned a lot about myself and how comfortable and uncomfortable I am in my own body.[/quote]
“The Vagina Monologues” is a series of true stories collected from women all over the world as they explain their journey to sexual self-discovery. The entirely female cast performed several monologues that celebrated female sexuality and all that comes with it.
“The purpose of the event isn’t really to promote feminism, like a lot of people think,” said senior Jenna Dawkins. “It is meant to stimulate thinking in both men and women, of our gender, our sexuality, what it means to not only be a human, but be a person with deep needs, raw emotions and stories that are worth sharing.”
It was equally important for men to hear the performances. While the show is not directly about what’s between women’s legs, it is about respecting women.
Even though the production has a reputation for having an edge, it is based on real stories and statistics, which become increasingly impossible to ignore. While most of the audience seemed uncomfortable in the beginning, many warmed up to the embarrassing words being thrown at them from the stage. Freshman actress Kelsey McCabe had to face this challenge herself.
“At the end, I had to make everybody say the C-word, and I hate that word,” McCabe said. “But on stage and in the context of the play, when they’re (audience members) saying it back, it’s kind of like a ‘Screw you, this is who I am.’”
Every person can interpret the monologues differently. While many people found it funny and entertaining, others were uncomfortable throughout the entire performance.
Junior Nada Azem said it was the group’s goal to affect every person, whether by laughter or critical thinking. Azem is from Syria and performed a monologue by a Bosnian woman. She said she felt a connection to the woman because of the international differences. The performance also taught her how to view herself, she said.
“I learned a lot about myself and how comfortable and uncomfortable I am in my own body,” Azem said.
Although the same monologues are used in every year’s performance, each script is interpreted differently. Each character and actress brought a new vibe to the performance. Once they received their specific monologue after auditions, many of them played around with the emotions they wanted to extract from the audience. The girls had to decide if they wanted to be funny, serious, sad or thought-provoking.
“I didn’t know what to expect,” said junior Eleisha Hairston after the production. “Now that I have seen it, it’s very interesting, I can tell you that. It was very interesting. I’ve never heard anyone talk about vaginas like that.”
Dawkins said she does not believe “The Vagina Monologues” will ever lose its relevance or become a tired subject. As stated many times during the production, true self should always be given an opportunity to speak out.