For nearly 20 years, the Women’s Interest Network has been a part of the Women’s Center, but last year for the first time the organization declined to participate. This year the Women’s Center is trying to build up the center by bringing back the “Vagina Monologues.”
For five years in a row, the Women’s Center, through the Women’s Interest Network, has been running the production of the “Vagina Monologues.” “The Vagina Monologues” is made up of a different number of monologues read by a varying number of women and every monologue somehow relates to the vagina. But last year the network failed to put on the production.
“The Women’s Interest Network was not big enough to hold a big production,” Wendy Smith, the Center’s administrative support, said.
This was one of the reasons why the members of the organization began to lose interest.
The Women’s Interest Network is a broad organization and basically allows its members to concentrate on whatever topic they want dealing with women’s issues.
The Women’s Center is trying to get students interested in joining the organization using publicity and information sessions. Program adviser Maria Walker stated in an e-mail, “In an effort to grow WIN, the Women’s Center is reaching out to former members of WIN and current students interested in women’s lives, and in particular students interested in presenting the ‘Vagina Monologues.”‘
Women’s Center Director Karen Click said that the “Vagina Monologues” will definitely bring back interest for students to join the organization.
“‘The Vagina Monologues’ have a lot of name recognition,” Click said.
Click believes this will also be good for theater majors. Women who are interested in acting in a recognized play can have the chance and students that want to become directors can get the chance of directing an important play. There are a lot of opportunities for woman leadership roles in this organization.
The Women’s Interest Network’s first priority is for women to be heard and that is what the “Vagina Monologues” present.
“It is a very empowering program that deals with a voice that is often not heard in society,” Click said.
The Women’s Interest Network benefits from the program, but family shelters also reap the benefits. Ticket sales go to a family shelter of the students’ choice. For the past years the money has been going to the Family Place. The “Vagina Monologues” is a big production and people from everywhere in Dallas come to see it. Sometimes the play has to be shown more than once.
SMU development officer Arlene Manthey was a celebrity of the “Vagina Monologues.” Manthey said she had a great experience in the making of the play. When she was first asked to act in the production, she had no idea what it was about. Once she was told the general idea, she had her doubts, but as soon as she started to get involved with the production she saw its importance.
“It is very, very powerful,” Manthey said. “It deals from sexual assault, rape, birth. It uses the vagina in telling the story.”
The play presents how it is not easy being a woman by showing all the things women have to go through from menstruating to having a child. Manthey described how the play opens the audience’s mind and it is used to get people’s attention at the same time. It deals with women telling each other things that they would normally not share. It stresses the importance of the vagina.
“It makes you proud of being a woman,” Manthey said. “God blessed us with having it [a vagina], because it is such a beautiful part.”
The Women’s Center is concerned with bringing back the Women’s Interest Network and it is hoping the “Vagina Monologues” will be the key to its success. The center is attempting to connect with students and allow them space, time and the necessary resources for them to connect as well. If any students are interested they can contact Maria Walker at [email protected].
