By Katie White
Western Herald
Whatever name you have for the female reproductive organ, “The Vagina Monologues” wants to change the way we think about the “naughty bits.”
Western Herald File Photo
Western Michigan University’s own student organization, Womyn’s Equality, is bringing back the informative monologues to bring awareness in support of the V-Day campaign. The performances will be this weekend on WMU’s campus.
Eve Ensler wrote “The Vagina Monologues” in 1996 and she originally performed all the monologues herself.
She conducted over 200 interviews with women of all ages and races from around the world.
Ensler wanted to know how these women viewed their bodies. She asked them about their thoughts on sex, relationships, and violence against women.
Every monologue has to do with a certain relationship or, in some cases, situations women are involved in with their vaginas.
Some are about the loving relationships women have with theirs.
Others deal with the topics of rape, molestation, mutilation, or abuse and how that has repercussions when it comes to a women’s relationship with her own body.
Another talks about the miracle of birth and the aftermath on the vagina. There are monologues about women loving other women’s vaginas.
The play started in an arts center in 1996 and quickly went to off-Broadway NYC Theater, the Westside Theater.
Soon, celebrity guests were brought in to perform some of the other monologues when Ensler left to create the nonprofit V-Day.
Western Herald File Photo
The V-Day campaign is an international group that raises awareness to violence towards women and money for women’s anti-violence organizations.
Much of the money raised has been in conjunction with “The Vagina Monologue” performances.
“We hope to bring awareness of this issue not only to campus but also to the surrounding community,” said Jessica Hughes, Womyn’s Equality treasurer and director of “The Vagina Monologues.”
WMU students get to be a part of the phenomenon that has taken the globe and popular culture by storm.
Members of Womyn’s Equality get to act out one of the monologues themselves.
“This is my second year in the monologues and it’s definitely my favorite event that Womyn’s Equality holds on campus,” said Sammie Eyde, co-chair of Womyn’s Equality.
“It gives all the girls a chance to bond while also taking an active part in a feminist issue.”
“The Vagina Monologues” will be presented at the Dalton Center on Friday, Feb. 5 and Saturday, Feb. 6 at 8 p.m.
Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $5 and the proceeds will go to the V-Day campaign.
More information on the monologues or the V-Day campaign can be found at www.vday.org.
Information on Womyn’s Equality can be found on the group’s Facebook page or by email at womynsequality@gmail.com.
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