Feminism takes the stage

Auditions for ‘Any One Of Us’ to be held this weekend

For the last 12 years, the University of Idaho Women’s Center has put on the Vagina Monologues to celebrate V-Day, a global movement to stop violence against women. This year, V-Day will be celebrated differently on the Moscow campus.

According to Assistant Director for Programs for the Women’s Center Bekah MillerMacPhee, annual attendance for the Vagina Monologues has been at a steady decline, as many people have already seen the play. To spark more interest, the Women’s Center decided to put on a new Ensler play, “Any One Of Us: Words From Prison.”

The opening lines of Eve Ensler’s play, “Any One Of Us: Words From Prison,” resonates with a variety of women’s issues, including gender based violence.

“You cannot walk in my life, cause you haven’t been stabbed in the arm three times with a knife,” Ensler wrote.

As in years past, proceeds from the event go toward local efforts to combat gender based violence and sexual assault. The February play consists of several monologues, chorus pieces and a cast of  about 12 to 15 women. The play also consists entirely of true stories from real women from a San Francisco prison.

“It’s intense, it’s powerful and it’s really important,” MillerMacPhee said. “Fifty incarcerated women across the country contributed their stories to this play, and all of the stories featured in this are women who have sexual or domestic violence in their history. A lot of them have gone to prison for defending themselves against their abusers.”

UI students Sam Opdahl and Megan Licht will direct the play. Licht is an MFA directing student, and Opdahl is a fourth year directing and playwriting major. While both have directing experience, they will make their Women’s Center theater debut with the play.

Opdahl said she’s excited to tell the stories of other women through theater.

“It’s an incredibly compelling script and story,” Opdahl said. “I think its stories that need to be told.”

According to Licht, the two are already elbows-deep in planning the play and hope to build a strong cast as soon as possiable.

“We’re thinking about 3 to 4 hours a week to start with, but it will be a pretty accommodating schedule,” Licht said. “A lot of it will be at home work with your monologues. We’re trying to build a family that will be supportive both on and off stage.”

Anyone is welcome to audition, Licht said. Although only women will appear on stage, men are welcome to audition and be part of the production process. Auditions are open to students and members of the community, regardless of age or experience. Auditions will be held from noon to 2 p.m. and from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, in the Arena Theater in Shoup Hall. Those auditioning may prepare a one-minute monologue, but cold reads will also be available as an audition piece.

“We encourage people who don’t have experience to come and try it out,” MillerMacPhee said. “This is really a good opportunity to engage in some activism and to be involved in a really cool production. We’re really encouraging anyone to audition.”

Licht said students of all backgrounds should apply because performing a play is a team process, and the making of “Any One Of Us: Words From Prison,” is sure to be rewarding.

“Everyone who auditions will be involved in the production in some way,” she said. “And it’s not playwrights who want to be the next Shakespeare. It’s real women writing about their real experiences.”

Kelsey Stevenson can be reached at [email protected]

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