V-Day ‘Monologues’

Dry tampons, thongs and cold doctors’ tables make itangry. Some women describe it as the leaf around the flower or thelawn around the house. One 6-year-old said, if it could dress, itwould wear red high-tops and a Mets cap, turned aroundbackwards.

The word is “vagina,” and the cast of “TheVagina Monologues” wants to every member of the audience atFriday night’s performance to understand what that word meansto women all around the world.

The Monologues are a series of stories, based on over 200interviews, in which women talk about the most secret part of theirbodies.

In her original press release, Eve Ensler, author of “TheMonologues,” said:

“I was worried about vaginas. I was worried about what wethought about vaginas, and even more worried that we don’tthink about them. …. So I decided to talk to women about theirvaginas. … At first, women were reluctant to talk. They were alittle shy. But once they got going, you couldn’t stopthem.”

This year’s performance includes two new monologues.”Crooked Braid” discusses domestic violence, focusingon Native American women. According to the monologue, the rate ofrape is over three times higher among Native Americans.

“The Memory of Her Face” is a worldwide review ofinhumane treatment of women. In Juarez, Mexico, the monologue talksabout the “desperadoes” or the “disappearedones.”

“Three hundred women have disappeared,” themonologue says, “90 have turned up dead in ditches, most weremutilated and raped.”

Jessica Ortiz, one of the performance’s two directors,said the most important thing about the preparation was therelationship the cast and crew built with each other.

The two directors decided to make the actresses memorize theirlines this year, instead of reading out of a black binder.

“These [the monologues] are so important, and they deserveso much respect, we had to find a way to make it more real,”Ortiz said. “I’ve never been raped, [the actresses]have never had their faces burnt with acid, but the raw emotionsare there. We have to make the audience experience that.”

Nicolette Ocheltree, Ortiz’ co-director, agreed. “Wehad to make it more real. It’s too detached when theactresses read from a binder.”

This year’s performance will end with the presentation oftwo “Vagina Warrior” awards.

Ensler describes Vagina Warriors as men and women who arefierce, obsessed, driven and compassionate. On the V-Day Web site,she says, “They are citizens of the world. They cherishhumanity over nationhood. They have a wicked sense ofhumor.”

One of the organizers of the show told The Daily Campusone of the honorees would be the late Gail Ward, the formerWomen’s Symposium Coordinator. The other warrior is beingkept secret until after the performance.

Student tickets cost $7, and non-student tickets are $15.Tickets will be on sale in the Hughes-Trigg Crossing from 10 a.m.until 2 p.m. Students who want to pay with Pony Express can alsopurchase tickets, while supplies last, at the Mane Desk. If anytickets remain, they will be sold at the door.