There was a common theme discussed during the Q&A session following Friday’s performance of “The Vagina Monologues”— all women experience similar things when it comes to their vaginas.
After the event, attendees were given the opportunity to ask the cast questions after the performance.
During the Q&A session, many cast members said there were a lot of things they had always thought about involving vaginas, but they had never openly talked about it. Many people said there were topics discussed during the monologues that helped them realize they weren’t alone.
“It’s not just me,” one performer said.
Katy Noble, a cast member of “The Vagina Monologues,” said there were monologues that she believed every performer could relate to in some way or another.
“I don’t think, with all of these 17 women up here, I don’t think that anyone of us doesn’t at least connect to at least a part of one of these stories, and that just further reflects how accurate these things are,” Noble said. “These are the things that women are and have to deal with.”
The performance helped many of the cast members realize that things involving their bodies — specifically their vaginas — were normal.
“This really opened it up, like all of these things are normal,” one performer said. “I’m shocked that these things happen to other people. Finally, some truth behind our vaginas.”
A member of the audience asked Noble what she thought she gained from the experience performing in the show.
“I’ve sat in the audience and I’ve seen this show at least 10 times, I just can’t believe I did it,” Noble said. “I always wanted to do it, but I was so scared of doing it. I am so scared of talking about these things, but it’s so important to talk about these things that matter.”
Noble said the event was empowering to her because she found her voice and was able to talk about this matter she didn’t normally talk about to a large crowd.
Near the end of the session, assistant director for programs Bekah MillerMacPhee said she teared up multiple times during the performance.
MillerMacPhee said she appreciated the hard work the cast put into the performance. While working alongside all of them, MillerMacPhee said it was an honor.
“Just watching (the cast) put the work in and really, some of these are your own stories, and all of them are real stories, and so watching them take on the joy and the pain and the heartache, and embracing those stories is incredibly courageous,” MillerMacPhee said.
Savannah Cardon can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @savannahlcardon