Concordiensis

Issue date: 2/22/07 Section: News

Thus, the Monologues range from the outrageously funny, to the horrifyingly unsettling, and sing of many other experiences of womanhood. Unanimously, however, the play was a challenge to its viewers to confront their own preconceptions of the female, femininity, and sexuality.

The play represents the diversity of female and feminine, as its characters span cultural, ethnic, generational and even gender divides. It includes an account of the experiences of Bosnian woman refugees, thousands of whom were subjected to violent gang rapes during the Serbian conflict. It faces up to taboos without reservation, recounting the experiences of a young lesbian woman, a severely battered American Indian woman, a catalog of transvestite women, and the story of one young girl. The play speaks to the range of experiences of womanhood, shattering categorical bounds of what it means to be female.

Actress Marcela Oliva, '09, remarked, "Because we are anatomically different than men, we live in a different reality. Because we give birth, women are attributed characteristics, such as being hypersensitive or emotionally unstable. The Monologues vocalize the diversity of experiences of women."

Sophomore Marc Tanvik echoed this statement, representing the thoughts of the surprising number of male attendees. "It was an experience...I will never forget," Tanvik stated, recalling the funny and interesting way in which the play was presented.

Through all of these testimonies, the occasional use of a Greek chorus, and the commentary made by cast-member Kelsey Allen-Dicker, '07, the audience learned startling facts, such as that 130 million women in 28 countries worldwide have been subjected to genital mutilation, and 500,000 women in the US are raped each year, audience members became privy to intimate secrets of those women and girls Ensler herself interviewed over the years.

Kaitlin Canty, '08, the official organizer of The Vagina Monologues, and president of the Women's Union, said she hopes her audience will "be a little more comfortable the next time they hear the word 'vagina', because, as Eve Ensler says, 'if we cannot talk about vaginas, we cannot protect them.'" Being able to perform the Monologues on college campuses is undoubtedly a great asset to the movement. Canty added, "The play addresses a lot of issues college students can relate to while voicing more global concerns as well."

Since its inception in 1996, the V-Day movement worldwide has raised over 40 million dollars, and this year alone, 1,102 V-Day events spanned the globe. Learn more about V-Day, its successes, and how to get involved at www.vday.org.

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