| The Vagina Monologues |
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PLOT SUMMARY The Vagina Monologues is made up of a varying number of monologues read by a varying number of women (initially, Eve Ensler performed every monologue herself, with subsequent performances featuring three actresses, and more recent versions featuring a different actress for every role). Every monologue somehow relates to the vagina, be it through sex, love, rape, menstruation, mutilation, masturbation, birth, orgasm, the variety of names for the vagina, or simply as a physical aspect of the female body. A recurring theme throughout the piece is the vagina as a tool of female empowerment, and the ultimate embodiment of individuality. Some monologues include:
Every year a new monologue is added to highlight a current issue affecting women around the world. In 2003, for example, a skit was made concerning the plight of women in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. HISTORY Eve Ensler wrote the first draft of the monologues in 1996 (there have been several revisions since) following interviews she conducted with 200 women about their views on sex, relationships, and violence against women. The interviews began as casual conversations with her friends, who then brought up anecdotes they themselves had been told by other friends; this began a continuing chain of referrals. In an interview with women.com, Ensler said that her fascination with vaginas began because of "growing up in a violent society." {Link without Title} women's empowerment is deeply connected to their sexuality. She also stated, "I'm obsessed with women being violated and raped, and with incest. All of these things are deeply connected to our vaginas." Ensler wrote the piece to "celebrate the vagina," which is described in one monologue as being superior to the penis because it contains the clitoris, which the monologues describe as the only body part in existence that has the sole purpose of giving pleasure. Ensler sees the vagina as being a tool of empowerment through which women can achieve total femininity and individuality. She claims inspiration for the piece came from Tina Turner: "I love Tina Turner. She's a woman who fully inhabits her vagina." {Link without Title} Ensler states that in 1998, the purpose of the piece changed from a celebration of vaginas and femininity to a movement to stop violence against women. The first performance of the play was in the basement of the Cornelia Street Café in New York, New York in 1996. The play gained popularity through a word of mouth campaign that culminated with a performance at Madison Square Garden in 2001, which featured Melissa Etheridge and Whoopi Goldberg performing segments of the play. V-DAY ''The Vagina Monologues'' are the Cornerstone of the V-Day movement, whose participants stage benefit performances of the show worldwide each Valentine's Day . The "V" in ''V-Day'' stands for ''Valentine'', ''Vagina'' and ''Violence'', linking love and respect for women to ending Violence against Women and girls. The proceeds from these performances go to programs that assist Victims of Domestic Violence . V-Day has raised (and donated) over $30 million dollars and exists in 81 different countries. The organization has worked directly with women in regions like Cairo , Kenya and the Pine Ridge Reservation to build safe houses and support political resistance. Camille Paglia has criticized V-Day as "turning Valentine's Day, the one holiday celebrating romantic harmony between the sexes, into a grisly '' Memento Mori '' of violence against women". {Link without Title} CRITICISM OF ''THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES'' Feminist criticism ''The Vagina Monologues'' has been criticized by a number of people in the Wendy McElroy shared many of Dodson's views [http://www.ifeminists.net/introduction/editorials/2000/0803.html . Contentious elements of the play include:
Social conservative criticism The play has also been criticized by Colleges . Several performances of the play had also been banned by municipal authorities within the People's Republic of China . The Case of Robert Swope In 2000, coverage in The Wall Street Journal , Salon.com , National Review , The Atlantic Monthly , The Washington Times , and the Weekly Standard. {Link without Title} Due to the ensuing outcry Eve Ensler's "V-Day" organization has not allowed the monologue depicting the 13-year old girl's encounter as a "good rape" to be performed and has threatened to sue student groups that did so. U.S. PERFORMANCES The Vagina Monologues is performed annually to bring attention to V-Day at many community centers and colleges. Small colleges such as Winthrop University, Eckerd College , Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi , Texas A&M International University , Brandeis University , Davidson College , Colorado College , The Claremont Colleges , North Central College , Ferris State University , and Southwestern University , as well as larger universities such as Rutgers University (Douglass College), the University Of California , University Of Pennsylvania , Boston University , Arizona State University , the University Of Delaware , Georgia Institute Of Technology and the Massachusetts Institute Of Technology make it a practice to perform a production of the Monologues every year. Student involvement and awareness are key to making this a success. The performances put on generally benefit rape crisis centers and similar resources for women. OVERSEAS PERFORMANCES The Vagina Monologues has been performed in 76 countries. The authorities in China are reported to have shut down one performance. Monologue Actresses Colombia
EXTERNAL LINKS The television production Criticism
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