The v-word seems to be everywhere on campus these days, from posters to newspaper articles to the tips of everyone's tongues - "vagina" has even found its way into The Primary Source! To what do we owe this surge in reference to female anatomy, you might ask? Blame it on the arrival of Eve Ensler's infamous play, The Vagina Monologues, set to take center stage in Cohen Auditorium this Sunday.
The Vagina Monologues, winner of the Obie Award in 1997, depicts the experiences of women from around the world, old and young, both positive and negative, relating to issues about their sexuality and - you guessed it - their vaginas. Women's thoughts and feelings about "the down there" are shared in a series of monologues that portray the responses of these women to questions they were asked by Ensler. What results is a thoughtful, poignant, and sometimes laugh-out-loud collection of women's stories.
The campus-wide reaction has ranged from disgust to the celebratory "Yeah, vaginas!" sentiment. Other people are just plain confused and not quite sure what to make of posters promoting the production, not to mention Vulvapalooza, the fund-raising event that will take place in the Balch Arena lobby prior to the performance. It's these reactions that make the goals of the project that much more significant.
"I hope the show empowers and educates people," said co-director Rah-nee Kelly when asked what she hoped to accomplish with the play.
Producer Lisa Goodman, who is the reason the Monologues found their way to Tufts in the first place, said that one of the major objectives of the production is to cultivate of a sense of self: "If you don't own your body," she said, "how can you say who can take it?"
Tufts' involvement with the Monologues and the celebration of V-Day are part of a nationwide campus initiative to raise money and awareness of violence against women. Amherst College, Columbia University, and Northwestern University are participating as well. In all, over 250 schools have mounted their own productions since the show's inception in 1999.
"The performance is like a culmination of what V-Day's all about," Kelly explained. "[The Vagina Monologues] themselves are the clincher, the crux of the point we're trying to make - that women are not allowed the freedom with their sexuality like men are."
Thirteen Tufts students will perform the Monologues, and observing these young women before rehearsal is proof enough of the profound effect Ensler's work has on her audiences. There is an unmistakable camaraderie among cast members as they discuss the Source's response to the show and go over their lines - needless to say, the word "vagina" flies left and right.
"Yeah, [the Monologues] are in your face," admitted Goodman. "But you have to know what's behind it. You can't take it out of context."
To say that the show is "in your face" is at best an understatement. The Monologues are frank and straightforward - there's no tiptoeing around vaginas in Cohen. The content of the show, however, is not about shock value. What these women want is for people to recognize that there is no shame in vaginas.
Vulvapalooza, the fundraiser, will take place at 7 p.m. in the lobby before the show. It's Tufts' exclusive effort to raise additional money for local organizations that to stop sexual violence. The brainchild of co-director Erin Dwyer, Vulvapalooza brings together a variety of campus organizations including the Tufts Feminist Alliance, the Tufts Men Against Violence, and the Tufts Transgendered Lesbian Gay Bisexual Collective. A number of community organizations will participate as well.
As if buying chocolate vagina lollipops and "Vagina Friendly" buttons weren't enough, student visitors will also have a chance to participate in a vibrator auction and play "Pin the Clitoris on the Vagina."
The Vagina Monologues goes beyond the scope of your typical on-campus theatre production. It is about bringing people together, raising awareness, and breaking down barriers. The production immerses Tufts in what has quickly grown to be a nationwide movement, and in the process gives this university the opportunity to stage a critically acclaimed, albeit controversial, play.
