Stacey Kirk’s roommates were even more thrilled than she was when she told them they would get to watch her onstage in Blackman Auditorium — talking about her vagina. “They’re really quite excited,” Kirk said.
Female Northeastern students will soon be shattering societal taboos surrounding the “V-word” by putting on the annual student production of “The Vagina Monologues” Feb. 7 and 8 in Blackman Auditorium. The production is in support of the worldwide “V-Day” movement, which is dedicated to ending violence against women.
Written by Eve Ensler, “The Vagina Monologues” is a compilation of monologues from women of all ages, races and social backgrounds discussing perceptions and misconceptions of female genitalia, sexual experiences and being a woman in today’s culture.
Senior Casey Cipriani is directing the show, a prospect which, due to the possibility of conflicting acting opportunities, she hadn’t really considered until the summer, despite a fondness for the play.
“I had done V-Day last year, [I performed the monologue] ‘I Was There in the Room,’ and that was the first time that I was in the show,” said the theatre major, who is also simultaneously rehearsing for an acting part in “Lower Depths,” put on by the Theatre Department. “The first time I saw [‘The Vagina Monologues’] I was in like ninth or 10th grade and I’ve been crazy about it since then.”
Money raised from productions of the play around the world and on college campuses across the country have traditionally gone to charities dedicated to ending violence and discrimination towards women. All proceeds from both Northeastern performances, including ticket and merchandise sales, will go to the local women’s shelter Rosie’s Place, as well as the organization SAFER campus, which works to prevent rape on college campuses.
The show is a yo-yo of emotions, alternating between humor and sorrow, and it usually brings everyone in its path — actors as well as spectators — along for the ride. Some monologues leave audiences roaring with laughter and shock, such as “The Moaner,” where a female lawyer-turned-dominatrix chronicles the different types of orgasmic moans she has experienced in her line of work.
Others are heart wrenching, including “My Vagina Was My Village,” the story of a young woman who was raped by several soldiers in her war-torn country. In all of the pieces, audience members witness women searching for and embracing womanhood and everything that comes with it —
