“The Vagina Monologues” was written by Eve Ensler (pictured above). For the first production of the play, Ensler performed all the monologues herself (courtesy of wikimedia Commons).
In 1996 Eve Ensler premiered the first production of “The Vagina Monologues” in New York City to a small audience. The bold depiction of female sexuality and anatomy became a symbol of the late 90’s feminist movement as women across the world were able to connect with the stories told.
Now, English major senior Skye Rose is bringing back the show in a new and fresh way, reinvigorating the aged script and directing Geneseo’s performance. Voices for Planned Parenthood hosted “The Vagina Monologues” on March 6 and 7 in Brodie 210 at 7 p.m. All ticket sales were donated to RESTORE Sexual Assault Services.
For those who may not know, “The Vagina Monologues” is a collection of stories around female-identifying people and their experiences in life with their sexuality, gender and personal expression. Taken from interviews and testimonials of women all around the world, the show takes a deep dive into many of the issues facing women in our society.
Many believe, however, that because the show is aged it carries outdated ideas and morals that become highly problematic in our current climate.
“There are a lot of outdated concepts in the show—such as relying on primarily male figures to help you discover your sexuality and other such messages,” Rose said. “However, there are still many good messages that should be embraced in our society today.”
In order to remedy this, the cast held a talk after Friday’s show in order to better address the issues through open and honest dialogue rather than simply censoring or cutting out monologues.
Regardless, the cast and crew put on a spectacular show this past Friday and Saturday night. The show was presented to a small audience of approximately 20 people, and the stage was within an arm’s reach of most of the audience. The small, intimate setting of the show seemed to become a conversation over a performance.
This performance was many of the cast members’ first introduction to Ensler’s work in general and “The Vagina Monologues” specifically. One such member was musical theatre major freshman Kay Nocerino.
“This show is highly outdated and continuing to address those problems is highly important when thinking about yourself in the process. It also helped in a certain way,” Nocerino said. “Being a non-binary person while having a vagina and being okay with that has a lot to do with how people exhibit gender and are able to express it.”
Women’s and gender studies major junior Margaux Carmel said that “the show is very connected to the second wave feminism movement,” citing the work’s strong attachment to one’s biological sex as the deciding factor for your gender over your personal expression.
“The idea of connecting gender, which is a very social construct, with biological sex and genitals is very archaic,” Carmel said. “Some people feel that they need a vagina to feel like a true woman, but for many it is not those experiences that make you a woman.”
“The Vagina Monologues” is thought of as a symbol of the feminist movement coming into the new millennium. As we move forward, it makes sense that shows like this will soon become outdated. However, with a strong cast and an amazing director the production was able to bring new perspectives and opinions into focus.