2008 Woodie Awards
'Vagina Monologues' return
Issue date: 2/18/08 Section: Intermission
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Staff Writer
The word "vagina" and its slang counterparts were brought out of biology classrooms and locker rooms and into the forefront of discussion during the presentation of "The Vagina Monologues" Thursday and Friday evening in the Ritsche Auditorium.
The hilarious and poignant presentation, directed by Kathy Michalski and Samantha Welte, came to life last week after more than two months of rehearsal and countless hours of organization by both the directors and the SCSU Women's Center.
"The Vagina Monologues," is a collection of monologues written by Eve Ensler, which are based on the experiences of more than 200 women of all ages, races and sexual orientations.
They range in topic from orgasm and different types of moaning to more serious topics such as female genital mutilation and sexual slavery. This year's spotlight monologue focused on the victims of hurricane Katrina, referring to New Orleans as "the vagina of America."
This year marked the 10-year anniversary of "The Vagina Monologues," as well as SCSU's sixth year of presenting it. They have been translated into 45 languages for performances all over the world.
Aside from entertainment value, "The Vagina Monologues" raises awareness of the issue of women's violence.
"It's hard especially on a college campus to not know someone affected by violence," said Marie Fisher, graduate assistant of the Women's Center.
The production also opens a dialogue about women's violence, not only amongst women but men as well.
"Violence against women is not a women's issue, it's a social issue, and while women need to stand up for themselves, men need to stand up for themselves, too," Michalski said.
"Some people don't realize what women deal with every day. They don't realize what doesn't happen to them," said Drea Dunkle, a performer of "The Vagina Monologues."
Dunkle said the performance gives men on campus an artistic opportunity to learn about violence against women while not feeling attacked or blamed.
"It also helps men think of women in a different way," Michalski said.