Smith's Vagina
Monologues Joins Global Campaign to End Violence Against
Women
When The
Vagina Monologues,
a series of performed monologues by Eve Ensler, was first
produced 15 years ago, it sparked a sort of revolution,
helping women regard their bodies with fresh appreciation
and insisting on a new  societal
comfort regarding women’s
bodies and identities. Since then, the play has become much
more than a stage production, broadening, through Ensler's , into a worldwide phenomenon focused on helping
women wherever they are oppressed.
For several years, Smith
students have annually staged a production of The
Vagina Monologues, around Valentines'
Day, for consistently
enthusiastic audiences. This year’s performance will take
place on Saturday, Feb. 16, at 8 p.m. (doors open at 7:30
p.m.) in John M. Greene Hall.
According to Kyla Prior '14,
director of this year's production, some of the monologues
will presented in a completely different light from past
years.
"Every production takes on its
own character," Prior explains. "Not only does the cast differ,
but each monologue has its own interpretation unique to each
performer."
The stories told in The
Vagina Monologues remain relevant, says Prior, "and
they still ring true. We hear about violence, acid burnings,
honor killings, rape. The Vagina Monologues takes
these events and makes them personal. The stories delve
into intense topics, funny subjects, and even subjects
that some people would rather were left unsaid."
This year, Ensler announced
a new campaign called , to raise awareness
and bring about positive change in ending violence against
women worldwide. According to Ensler, one in three women
globally will be a victim of rape of physical violence during
her lifetime—1 billion victims.
"The Vagina Monologues
is a marker of Smith College's public conscience,"
notes Prior. As part of the production, funds will be raised,
through ticket proceeds, for
Safe Passage, a local shelter for women and children who
are victims of domestic violence.
The
Vagina Monologues is
produced by Lila Berry '15; the stage manager is Caitlyn
Levine '15.
Tickets for The Vagina Monologues are
$10.
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