It’s that time of year again. There’s a briskness in the air, students are winding down from midterms, and Eve Ensler’s “The Vagina Monologues” is coming to DU for the fourth time.
For those unfamiliar with the work, “The Vagina Monologues” combines stage performance and fundraisers to raise money for V-Day, a program begun in 2001 that garners attention for the fight to stop worldwide violence against women and girls, including rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation and sexual slavery.
“The Vagina Monologues” itself, in addition to informing audiences about the inner lives of women and the violence they face, strives to educate everyone about the strength inherent in every woman and girl.
Last year there were over 2,300 V-Day events in 1,100 communities around the world that raised over $4 million to create awareness of violence against women.
This year, the DU performance will be directed by student Heather Yocum, the president of DU’s Undergraduate Women’s Council. DU is joining multiple schools around the country and the world in the brand new V-Day 2005 College Campaign.
DU will be hosting both a performance of the play and raising money for women’s charities. This year, proceeds from the play and fundraiser will go to The Gathering Place and Gateway Battered Women’s Shelter.
In 2004, Eve Ensler, creator of “The Vagina Monologues” coined the new phrase “Vagina Warriors” for men and women who work in their communities to end violence against women and girls. On-campus “Vagina Warriors” were presented at the end of the play last year, a tradition that will be continued at this year’s performance.
This year’s presentation of the warriors is particularly important to the DU Undergraduate Women’s Council because of the numerous sexual assaults that have taken place on campus over the past year.
While “The Vagina Monologues” and the V-Day campaign are important on college campuses, the movement has been growing in towns, cities and villages all over the world.
Over 75 countries around the globe, from Europe to Asia, have received funds from V-Day for local and international organizations and programs that work to end violence against women.
Last fall, an office in Cairo began building networks to end violence against women in Egypt, Sudan, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.
This year’s presentation of “The Vagina Monologues” will be performed at Margery Reed Theatre in Margery Reed Hall, located at 2306 E. Evans Ave., Feb. 17-19 at 8 p.m.
Tickets are $10 for students, faculty and staff, and $20 for all others and may be reserved by phoning 720.984.6670. The Undergraduate Women’s Council will also be selling tickets on campus on the Driscoll Bridge Feb. 7-10 and Feb. 14 and 15.
To learn more about “V-Day DU” call Jessica Glaser at 720.984.6670 or e-mail the Undergraduate Women’s Council president Heather Yocum at hyocum@du.edu.
To learn more about V-Day, the V-Day College Campaign or the V Day Worldwide Campaign, visit the official “The Vagina Monologues” Web site at www.vday.org.
