The vagina. Every female has one. It is not often discussed, acknowledged or even mentioned, but Monday’s performance of “The Vagina Monologues” pushed it center stage. “The Vagina Monologues” by Eve Ensler was presented by The Feminist Advocacy Organization (FAO) as part of V-DAY, a campaign that aims to stop violence against women and girls.
V-DAY aims to raise awareness and bring attention to issues such as rape, battery and sex slavery though its campaigns and creative events. This rendition of “The Vagina Monologues” brilliantly exposed womanhood in all its glory.
It was standing room only in the Underground and the crowd, mostly made up of women, excitedly buzzed for the show to begin. The lights dimmed and for the next hour and a half females reigned supreme. The show was made up of 12 monologues that blended the hysterical with the deep and heartbreaking.
It was clear that director Yassi Davoodi ’11, and assistant director Katie Markovich ’12 had spent time choosing pieces presenting the vagina as a symbol of empowered womanhood. Each performer spoke as though she had personally experienced the content of her monologue.
Each performance was relatable and transcended the confines of the stage to bring the audience to a place of happiness, anger, love, fear, and vulnerability that her character was experiencing.
“My Angry Vagina,” performed by Loni Ben-Zvi ’13, was a pitch-perfect piece told from the point of view of a woman’s vagina. From tampons to the horrible duck lips at the OB/GYN, it is no wonder that it would be angry.
Ben-Zvi’s performance had the crowd in stitches as she described the painful processes that women put vaginas though when all it wants is to read, get out, have sex and eat chocolate.
Similarly, “Reclaiming Cunt” also had the audience shouting out loud, although this time they were shouting the word “cunt” as loud as possible.
Alison Wadleigh’s ’10 energetic performance had women in the room yelling and reclaiming a word that is often thought to be dirty or forbidden. Instead she avidly spoke about how even the sound of the word “cunt” should invoke positivity.
“The Vagina Monologues” did not rest on humor or shock value or show a simple and blissful picture of femininity. It addressed a dark side,† focusing on abuse and fear as well. Caroline Catlin ’14 and Charlotte Shapiro’s ’13 rendition of “My Vagina Was My Village” was moving and poignant.
Written about rape as a war tactic, it was an affecting performance that uncovered how a woman once saw her vagina as beautiful, but now sees it as tainted ó torn apart and shamed though rape and war.
“Crooked Braid,” performed by Alex Deriex ’14, focused on domestic violence. Deriex’s performance showed the pain of being trapped in a cycle of abuse, and how simple things, like taking solace in cutting off her husband’s hair as a sign of rebellion, can be empowering to those caught in the cycle.
Jasmine Verreen’s ’13 rendition of “The Little Coochi Snorcher that Could” was a perfect blend of humor and darkness. The monologue follows the life of a young girl, starting at age six until age 16, her rape at the age of 10 and her sexual awakening at age 16.
Verreen skillfully drew the audience in with her portrayal of this growing girl who felt that her vagina was a place where you could not touch. You could feel the fear of a child through her depiction of invasion and pain of being raped by a family friend.
On the happier side, Verreen composed a blissful scene for her character that was full of excitement from being sexually awakened by another older woman.
Other performances by Isabella Briggs ’13, Annie Jaeb ’14, Hannah Rothman ’13, Margaret Trainor ’13, Robyn Trem ’11, Sara Falkoff ’11, Courtney Foster ’12, Maria Louisa Cox ’12 and Abbi Heimach ’11 brought many in the crowd to their feet in a standing ovation at the end of the night.
“The Vagina Monologues” was able to capture the audience’s attention with its humor, depth of emotion and loyalty to the empowerment of the vagina. If you missed it, hope it comes back next year ó this is a production that cannot be ignored. FAO should be commended for beautifully presenting these strong and moving performances.
Robyn Tream ’11 delivers a powerful performance