Laura Bucio
Assistant Editor
Vagina, valentine and victory are themes in the upcoming production of “The Vagina Monologues” at the University of La Verne.
The play will be part of the V-Day campaign, a movement dedicated to stop violence against women and girls worldwide.
“I hope the play will evoke compassion and passion to end violence against women and girls,” said Jane Dibbell, associate professor of theater arts and producer of the play.
Eve Ensler is the author of “The Vagina Monologues,” which was written in 1997 after conducting a series of interviews regarding women and how they felt about their sexuality.
Since then women have performed more than 800 productions of the play in 30 different countries.
Every year colleges and universities perform the play around the world to help raise awareness of violence against women as part of the V-Day campaign, which usually takes place on Valentines Day.
At ULV the play will do more than bring awareness to violence against women and girls; it will also serve as an introduction to the 2nd annual “Women’s Gender and Sexuality Conference: Engendering Diversity and Community.”
“It is a good introduction to one aspect of women’s oppression,” said Zandra Wagoner, general education program director and coordinator of the event. “It centers on women’s feelings about their bodies.”
The conference will include presentations of research regarding gender issues, artistic expressions of gender, keynote speakers and round table discussions.
“The Vagina Monologues” has been known to cause controversy around the world because of the language and the issues it deals with. The title itself is not accepted in many places.
“There are years and years of society putting women in the back seat,” said Kirsten Ogden, assistant professor of English.
Dibbell decided to put on the play after seeing a production of it in Notre Dame. She is highly involved in movements dedicated to help women and girls and currently teaches a feminist playwrights class at the University.
She also organized a carnation sale to help raise funds for ?abused women.
Others members of the ULV community have also joined in the effort to stop violence.
In support of raising awareness the Iota Delta sorority will be holding the “Clothesline Project,” in which students will have the opportunity to decorate t-shirts symbolizing different abuse against women.
“My hope is that there is more education and awareness about women’s bodies,” Wagoner said. “I hope people can understand it as an invitation to educate themselves.”
Faculty and students will perform “The Vagina Monologues” at 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on March 29 at the Cabaret Theatre. A reception will be held at 7:45 p.m. following the first performance.
A donation of $10 is suggested for tickets; all funds will be donated to the House of Ruth.
Laura Bucio can be reached at lbucio@ulv.edu. |
