| Tales from down below |
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| Written by Jordan Gray - Argonaut | ||||||
| Thursday, 05 February 2009 | ||||||
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 Performers rehearse Wednesday for Eve Enslers "The Vagina Monologues" in the Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre. This year the play will highlight the violence being committed against women in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and it will be performed Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Jake Barber/Argonaut It’s where babies come from. Girls have them. And typically, they are just not talked about. Until now. The University of Idaho Women’s Center is presenting this year’s production of Eve Ensler’s “The Vagina Monologues.” The play is part of the global V-Day movement to stop violence against women and girls worldwide. “It’s not a traditional play,” said director Seraphina Richardson. “It’s more a documentary style. It’s designed to teach and not entertain as much, though it is pretty entertaining.”This year’s cast is made up of UI students and community members who auditioned. The cast members received their respective monologues during the first week of December, but Richardson said they’ve only rehearsed the whole play a few times. “They don’t want it over-rehearsed,” Richardson said. “We try to keep it organic. We took a couple of the monologues that have always been there and made them interactive.” According to Lysa Salsbury, the program coordinator for the Women’s Center, “The Vagina Monologues” production actually requires a contract with the V-Day Foundation to ensure strict guidelines are followed. “The V-Day campaigns have raised something in the vicinity of $50 to $60 million in the last 10 years,” Salsbury said. The beneficiaries of this production’s proceeds will be Alternatives to Violence of the Palouse, the UI’s Violence Prevention Programs and the V-Day Foundation. “We raised enough this year to completely offset the cost of the production,” Salsbury said. “Every cent will go to our two beneficiaries after we pay the mandatory 10 percent to the V-Day Foundation.” The play does contain language and explicit subject material. The play was first performed by Eve Ensler in a solo off-Broadway show and then later as a benefit show. It has since expanded to be one of the offerings of the V-Day Foundation, along with readings, documentaries and educational “teach-ins” such as the one that is being offered about this year’s spotlight monologue. Ensler writes a new spotlight monologue every year. “This year’s spotlight monologue is about the systematic rape and torture, what Ensler terms ‘femicide,’ of women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,” Salsbury said. “We decided to do the educational teach-ins as well. We’re trying to provide that education that raises student awareness of not only rape as a weapon of war, but violence in their own communities.” She said the play gives audience members the chance to learn about it in a safe setting. “I hope that people who have seen the play will see it again,” Salsbury said. “And that people who haven’t seen it will come, not just out of curiosity, or even hope for revealing something controversial and illicit. I hope they come because they realize the social importance of contributing to a global justice movement which advocates ending violence against women and girls.” “The Vagina Monologues” will be performed at the Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre today and Saturday at 7 p.m. and on Sunday at 2 p.m. Doors open 30 minutes before the show. Tickets are $7 for students/senior citizens and $9 for general admission and may be purchased in advance from the University of Idaho Women’s Center, Eclectica and Book People of Moscow. Tickets will also be available for purchase at the door.  Add as favorites (79) | Views: 1132
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