Turning Monologues Into Conversation

V-Day is fast approaching, and, as we now know, V-Day is not just Valentine's Day. The V stands for Victory, Valentine, and Vagina. V-Day is an organization that sponsors thousands of artistic projects nationwide to raise awareness for violence against women, including Columbia's own annual production of Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues, which runs Feb. 13, 14, and 16.

The minimalist play has been given a new angle by this year's director, Christina Myers, CC '07. "It's traditionally just one microphone, one woman, and each monologue doesn't even have to be memorized," explains Myers. Under her direction, the entire ensemble is on stage at almost every point in the show, working together even when they aren't speaking.

May Alhassen, GSAS, who acts in the show, says, "Since we're all on stage at the same time, we work together as a cast a lot more. It makes it a lot more appealing and interactive."

Myers has set The Vagina Monologues in a women's clinic to both heighten the most comedic parts of the show and highlight the serious underlying women's issues.

This year, the profits from the show will be donated to two organizations: Students Active For Ending Rape (SAFER) and Girls Educational Mentoring Service (GEMS). SAFER trains student activists to lobby for improvements in the sexual assault policies of American universities, while GEMS provides mentoring services for girls who are at risk for sexual exploitation. Susan Schulz, the editor-in-chief of CosmoGirl, will be helping to raise awareness about the issues that these organizations deal with when she speaks at the special Valentine's Day performance.

It's no secret that the monologues presented are very candid and, at points, controversial. Sex, menstruation, orgasms, rape, assault, sodomy, pubic hair, and genital mutilation are all discussed in a period of less than two hours. "I think it's important that when we see this show, we realize how we really aren't all that open about our bodies," says Myers. "This show is about being more comfortable with your body-it's about becoming more comfortable about your vagina."

Although the play strives to address the concerns of women today, it does not accomplish this through male-bashing. "The experience is going to be a lot different for men and women," says cast member Olivia Whelan, BC '08. Understandably, these subjects aren't easy for men, or even women to deal with. "I can talk to my friend about [this show], but guys especially get really thrown off by it," says Danaya Almenares-Mesa, CC '10.

The ensemble is made up of a combination of undergraduate and graduate students. "It's not restricted," says Myers. "It's a community show and it's not just geared toward students." The range of different backgrounds and experiences in the actresses reflects the range of experiences presented in the show itself.

"I think really the big surprise of this show is going be how funny it is," says Alhassen. There are some hysterical monologues which can almost make the audience forget about the implicit seriousness of the play. "I hope it raises consciousness for discussion," says Myers. "I hope it will touch everyone in some way."