V-Day of Ohio University presents the annual Vagina Monologues to end the stigma surrounding women’s health.
Even today, women may feel the need to put tampons up their sleeves or in their boots to hide them in public.
That illustrates the kind of embarrassment that tends to surround the discussion of vaginas.
However, the 25 women of the The Vagina Monologues have expressed the goal of combating this stigma on campus with their performances at 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m., Sunday in Baker Theatre.
Written by playwright and activist Eve Ensler, the show is based on interviews conducted with women all around the world on the subjects of sexuality and the stigma of the vagina. Every year, V-Day, a global activist movement to end violence against women, releases a new script.
“It was written to address the taboo of talking about women’s health,” Ellenore Holbrook, a co-director of The Vagina Monologues, said.
Holbrook, a junior studying political science and economics, said she hopes to “bring women together to recognize the way we talk about our bodies and break down those barriers.”
The show will also work as a fundraiser for My Sister’s Place, a domestic violence agency serving Athens.
Though the script constantly changes, this year will deviate from previous years substantially. The performance will include segments of The Vagina Monologues in the first half and six alternative pieces in the second.
“What we decided to do this year is … open it to different experiences,” Holbrook said.
Famous women such as Margaret Atwood and Maya Angelou are featured, as well as the perspective of one cast member.
“(We wanted to) include our own voices,” she said.
Tiffany Anderson, a sophomore studying computer engineering, wrote a monologue for the show.
Anderson said she wanted to take this opportunity to write something that would reflect the experiences of transgender women in general, but also of herself.
“Just by hearing and seeing what people were doing … it definitely challenges the stigma of women’s bodies, and it does call to attention the fact that women are very sexualized, and like in my case when you are a transgender woman, people are fetishized,” she said.
Anderson said that previously, the show was missing this more personal representation of the transgender experience of womanhood.
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“Many people think to be trans, if you are not passing, or if you don’t look feminine, they don’t consider you to be a woman, and that is something that I have experienced,” she said.
Minimal set and simplistic lighting will allow the audience to focus on the stories. Despite the lack of many traditional theatrical elements, Holbrook said the play is just as intense as any other show someone would see on campus. The show delves into topics like expectation of shaving, sexual experience, assault and rape, Holbrook said.
Phoenix Crane, a junior studying psychology, plays a woman who “likes to make vaginas happy.” Falling into the world of BDSM, her dominatrix character in the monologue speaks on sexual expression and empowerment.
Crane said part of the issue surrounding the continuity of this stigma is that there isn’t a safe space to talk about it.
“This production creates that space,” Crane said.
In the past, audience members have approached Holbrook to express gratitude. One even sought counseling when the play allowed her to confront a difficult experience. Holbrook said she believes the fact that the show has fomented action in the community shows the impact of this subject.
The word vagina has become a common and even celebrated word in the vocabulary of these women, and Crane said they are looking to extend this vocabulary lesson to their audience as they break down the walls of womanhood.
@graceoliviahill
gh663014@ohio.edu
