The Red Doors, which usually houses a sparse group of students studying during weeknights, is filled with an anxious crowd. The production they wait to see is here for just two days, but it’s one that many have been waiting for since last February. But with many women coming forward with sexual harassment claims against Hollywood elite – and even the President – there could not be a better time for the group of women sitting in chairs, dressed all in black under the spotlights, to recite The Vagina Monologues.
The lights go out and the crowd goes silent. Co-director Lizzie Roswig ‘19 steps forward to remind the crowd that some monologues are going to trigger emotions, whatever they may be, and “honoring those emotions” is part of the production.
The Vagina Monologues were begun by playwright and activist Eve Ensler, whose groundbreaking play featuring interviews with women young and old aims to address the stigma around women’s sexuality. It created a conversation about women and their bodies started by and for women. Some of the monologues feature women’s views on sex and relationships; others share stories of rape and violence, but also of survival.
Some of the monologues featured in Muhlenberg’s rendition of The Vagina Monologues were emotional, sometimes with comedic undertones to keep the mood light. Others like “Hair,” a piece about a woman whose husband cheats on her because she won’t shave her pubic hair, or “They Beat the Girl Out of My Boy…Or So They Tried,” a piece based off the experiences of transgender women, left the audience silent.
Despite Muhlenberg putting on a performance of The Vagina Monologues around Valentine’s Day each year, this was Sara Kass ‘18’s first time acting in it. She saw the show her freshman year and knew that it was something she wanted to participate in at some point.
“Not being a theater person was actually one of the driving reasons behind this choice,” said Kass. “I knew the show would push me out of my comfort zone at ‘Berg, while also allowing me to explore one of my greatest passions through another avenue of thinking. I care deeply about the themes and feminism behind the show, and I’m really thankful that I got the opportunity to be a part of the production.”
For Kass, the process, from beginning to end, was challenging on many fronts. According to her, not being a theater major made everything from auditioning and rehearsing to performing intimidating. What made the performance possible for Kass were the women that went through the process alongside her.
“From the moment that I stepped in front of Lizzie and Sam to audition to holding hands with Heather as we spoke the last words of the show on Saturday,” said Kass, “I felt unconditionally supported and empowered throughout the experience.”
While the monologues have a significant impact on their own, the two-day production also raised $850 for Turning Point Lehigh Valley, which acts as a safe space for victims of abuse. This total surpassed the previous year’s, showing that, while the popularity of The Vagina Monologues is growing, so is the support the production is able to provide.
“I think The Vagina Monologues starts a conversation that can be hard to have,” said Kass. “People need language and an invitation to talk about ‘taboo’ subjects like the vagina, and I think this show allows for dialogue that would have a hard time getting off the ground otherwise. I also think the show does a good job subtly making sure that our feminism is intersectional – not all women have vaginas, and not all vaginas belong to women. Although a lot of the show centers around themes of womanhood intertwined with the particular body part, it also has pieces that allow for reflection on how we’ve been entrenched in one narrative about the vagina, and how that narrative change and stretches in the bright light of 2018.”
As the new year looms ahead, one that began with the second iteration of the famous Women’s March of last year, there are sure to be more opportunities for women to tell their stories in new and innovative ways. Even so, The Vagina Monologues is an important reminder of where we came from and how far we can – and must – go.
