Clement auditorium’s stage is dimly lit, as several women wait to talk about a topic most would consider taboo.
These women will be performing a rendition of Eve Ensler’s Vagina Monologues.
APSU’s women’s studies students and several alumnae took part in the performance on, Tuesday, Feb. 23, and Wednesday, Feb. 24.
“Vagina Monologue organizations increase national awareness against domestic violence,” said Regan Gudal, senior English major. “The foundation promotes safe houses that protect women and discuss genital mutilation in women of other countries. I love what the organization does.”
Eve Ensler created the Vagina Monologues in 1996 after holding interviews with over 200 women to talk about their sexual experiences and the personal experiences they have had with their vaginas.
The play consists of a series of short monologues such as “My Vagina Is Angry,” “Because He Liked To Look At It” and “My Vagina Was A Village” were performed by different participants.
Each monologue talks about different experiences women have had with their vaginas like pleasure, rape and the struggles with feminine products.
“Vagina is not a dirty word, its empowering and important to women” Gudal said.
An interesting aspect of this year’s performance came when two students in APSU’s English as a second language program performed the monologues in English.
“Seeing someone else express the feelings of these women’s testimonies especially in a language that is new to them is transformative and transforming,” said Jill Eichhorn, coordinator of women’s and gender studies. “All of these young ladies are teaching a course or studying women’s issues and this event creates communication amongst women and they connect with women around them and it helps to validate their own voice.”
