Vaginas are coming!
Just in time for Valentine's Day, The Vagina Monologues is coming to ASU's Neeb Hall.
The voices of women from various cultural backgrounds and life experiences can be heard in The Vagina Monologues, yet they are all related by two universal themes: self-understanding and self-respect.
The performance is part of a worldwide campaign, called V-Day, to bring awareness about violence against women to local communities and raise money for the cause.
"Everyone will laugh and some people will cry," said cast-member and English literature/women's studies senior Tessa Walter.
ASU is one of more than 500 participating universities that perform The Vagina Monologues every year around Valentine's Day.
The goal is to strengthen violence awareness within the college community, donate money raised from ticket sales to local women's shelters and leave some funding for next year's program.
"The play aims to be proactive instead of reactive," said Walter. "It helps women and men appreciate the woman's body, gives them the ability to take a stand and realize it's OK to be aware of their sexuality."
Money earned from ticket sales will be donated to the Center Against Sexual Abuse (CASA), My Sister's Place and De Colores — all local shelters for abused women and their children.
Assistant producer and marketing sophomore Janell Holas related her experience to the college and national campaigns. "I'm really glad to be part of the college campaign," she said.
"The incredibly diverse cast and production staff are very devoted," said Holas. "They believe strongly in the movement."
Over 50 ASU students, male and female, contribute to this year's production of The Vagina Monologues.
No acting experience is necessary to become involved with the campus campaign. In fact, the show is open to anyone willing to audition and volunteer.
ASU's production is co-sponsored by the campus V-Day organization, Department of Women's Studies, Student Health Center, Inter-group Relations Center and the Herberger College of Fine Arts.
Based on the book, written by Eve Ensler, The Vagina Monologues is a compilation of the author's interviews with hundreds of women around the world, arranged into 21 different monologues.
"Some are the actual stories of women and some are artistic interpretations of many stories," said Walter.
Ensler's play won the Village Voice Obie Award, an off-Broadway theater award, and has been performed in famous venues worldwide.
From India and France, to Mexico and United States, The Vagina Monologues has given audiences a sense of unity and aided in the promotion and fundraising for V-Day since 1998.
Celebrities such as Whoopi Goldberg, Winona Ryder, Rosie Perez, Calista Flockhart, Susan Sarandan and many others have played parts in the national production of the play.
A national celebrity performance of The Vagina Monologues will air tonight on HBO. Yet the campaign against violence and the performance preparations are year-round endeavors for members of V-Day.
Connie Engel, who performed in ASU's production last year and is currently the publicity coordinator, explained that there are many other ways for interested students to become involved with the movement other than acting in the play.
"The issues of women's sexuality and domestic violence go beyond V-Day," said Engel, a graduate student in clinical psychology and women's studies. "The college campaign is used as a spring-board to address a broader, continuous effort to bring about social change."
Aside from ticket sales, volunteers sell merchandise, such as copies of The Vagina Monologues, promotional t-shirts, buttons, posters and other information that advocates awareness.
Activities promoting the Feb. 23 and 24 performances will be held Feb. 14 and 19 on Hayden Lawn.
Excerpts from the play will be performed along with live music and interactive discussion topics, such as, "What would your vagina say if it could talk?"
Although some of these activities may seem gender exclusive, men are invited to learn, enjoy and assist with the V-Day programs as well.
Holas explained that reading the play or watching a performance of The Vagina Monologues is a way for men to "begin to understand and relate to the many aspects of being female."
Tickets for The Vagina Monologues cost $13 in advance for students. The performances will be Saturday, Feb. 23 at 7 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 24 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Engel's advice to those who are still wary of the "V" word: "If people are uncertain, they should come check it out. It's freeing, not scary."
Reach Jennifer Ballesteros at jennifer.ballesteros@asu.edu.
