The Vagina Monologues & Valentine’s Day

Happy Valentine’s Day!

On Saturday I had an opportunity to see the play Vagina Monologues, an invitation from the producer, Connie Drummond also the owner of the Artzscape Theatre in Wilmington.

The Vagina Monologues was a play that I had actually heard about many years ago when it was first released in 1996, however, it wasn’t always on my must see list but I decided to check it out and I was pleasantly pleased – yes, pun on words.

The cast of this production Annette Fletcher, Toni Trower, Yolanda Jamison Toole, Ashley Baker, Shanitha Wilson, Kira Savvy, Nettie Alexander, Shawna Marie and Tanny Dickerson -AKA- The Vagina Warriors all did an excellent job as they had the audience members laughing, groaning and dare I say it even moaning.

If you don’t know about this play, here’s an excerpt from Wikipedia

Eve Ensler wrote the first draft of the monologues in 1996 (there have been several revisions since) following interviews she conducted with 200 women about their views on sex, relationships, and violence against women. The interviews began as casual conversations with her friends, who then brought up anecdotes they themselves had been told by other friends; this began a continuing chain of referrals. In an interview with Women.com, Ensler said that her fascination with vaginas began because of “growing up in a violent society”. “Women’s empowerment is deeply connected to their sexuality.” She also stated, “I’m obsessed with women being violated and raped, and with incest. All of these things are deeply connected to our vaginas.”

Ensler wrote the piece to “celebrate the vagina”. Ensler states that in 1998, the purpose of the piece changed from a celebration of vaginas and femininity to a movement to stop violence against women. This was the start of the V-Day movement^[6] which has continued strong every year since, has turned into a worldwide phenomenon, and a very successful non-profit organization.^[6]

The play opened at HERE Arts Center in New York City on October 3, 1996, with a limited run that was scheduled to end November 15 but was extended to December 31. The play gained popularity through a sold-out performances, media coverage and word of mouth. “In 2001, V-Day sold out New York’s Madison Square Garden with more than seventy actors performing. The evening raised $1 million raised for groups working to end violence against women and girls

I had invited my friend and namesake Antoinette Capri to attend with me and she too enjoyed the play.

Proceeds from the Vagina Monologues benefited Domestic Violence Shelters in Delaware of which you can still make a donation by heading over to the Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/ConnieDrummondPlaywright or directly to the donation page https://www.guidestar.org/profile/51-0354794?fbclid=IwAR01yVqovLA80OpVP4B6xH59jtXW0sN5PMlckGcrons0iA8Jk7XUJ2vFw7M

Although the entire cast and audience members were women, there was one man in the audience and some of his reactions were hilarious as they ranged from embarrassment and disgust to empathy which is just how it should be.

Thank you Connie for the invite and I look forward to seeing more of your plays in the future.

If you are interested in renting out the venue Artzscape to host your own play or want to be involved in one of hers, please head over to the website for more information.

Happy Valentine’s Day!