On Feb 28. The Office of Residential Life and Housing, Title IX Office and the American Association of University Women (AAUW) will host a performance of “The Vagina Monologues.” The performance will take place in the Performing and Visual Arts Black Box Theatre in the Don Taft University Center.
“The Vagina Monologues” debuted in 1996 when Eve Ensler, an american playwright and activist, brought her writing to life. The presentation was in the form of monologues in an off-Broadway performance that would forever change the way the world talks about womanhood.
In its original performance, “The Vagina Monologues” provided the tales of women’s relationships within their societies, interactions and traumas. The stories were told through the women talking about their own relationship with their vaginas. Each story was originally performed by Ensler, but through the years the performance expanded to be performed by other actresses. Since the monologues debuted, additional pieces have been added to create a diverse picture of what it is like to be a woman. The full list of pieces include stories of women around the world from different races, ages, sexualities and gender expressions.
These pieces inspired an international non-profit organization called V-Day, which works globally to end violence against women and girls. Through performances like Eve Ensler’s “The Vagina Monologues,” V-Day gains funds and promotes global awareness of women’s issues. The V-Day organization requires that universities and theaters who put on performances of The Vagina Monologues donate the proceeds of the performance to local organizations. In keeping with this requirement, NSU will also be donating the proceeds to local organizations that focus on ending violence against women with their performance of The Vagina Monologues.
Ruth Augustin, area coordinator of the Office of Residential Lifelife and Housing, encourages the NSU community to view the performance and to not be afraid or embarrassed of or by it.
“I think that the title can sometimes scare people and make them nervous to come, especially men in that case, but I’m really hoping to get a big crowd out. It’s not about the numbers, it’s about the awareness and stories people are going to be able to hear from other women,” said Augustin.
The Vagina Monologues encapsulate the explicit triumphs and tragedies of what women around the world experience. Augustin wishes to share with everyone at NSU that the offices backing this performance are here for the students and their needs .
“I hope women see themselves within the monologues, see their stories and know that there is support out there for them and people that have walked through similar paths as them, but most importantly that the staff is here to support them and their stories,” said Augustin.
The performance is open to the public and the cost of the tickets will be $5 for students and $10 for the general public.
Photo: The Office of Residential Life and Housing, Title IX Office and the American Association of University Women
