Vagina talk
photo by Matt Staroste
Vaginal vernacular: Students get talking about the upcoming performance.
Eve Ensler’s famous play returns to the U of O
THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES is coming again. On March 6 and 7, the U of O’s Women’s Resource Centre (WRC) is celebrating female sexuality with its annual production of The Vagina Monologues. Worldwide productions of the play are organized through the V-Day organization, an initiative founded by playwright Eve Ensler to raise money to help end violence against women.
Nicole Matte, a WRC employee, is coordinating the production as part of a team with the centre and volunteers from Jer’s Vision, a charitable organization that supports youth diversity and attempts to counter discrimination.
“After working with the [WRC] for some time and seeing a few productions, I was amazed by the public reaction to the show,” says Matte. “Even my dad got a little excited about it.
“It seems like everyone is secretly really fascinated [by] vaginas, and using this show as a platform to discuss the prevalent issues facing women is where I see the real value.”
Matte also says that the growth of the production over the years is something fans should appreciate.
“The show continues to grow and change every year,” explains Matte. “[For instance], it now discusses the fact that not all women have vaginas by featuring a really beautiful monologue about the violence experienced by many trans-women.”
Another new addition to the performance addresses the University of Ottawa’s bilingual mandate.
“This year [includes] our fi rst-ever all-French cast,” says Matte. “The show will be performed Sunday, March 7 entirely in French for the first time in [U of O] history.”
Matte and her colleagues at the WRC are excited about how the new segment is being received.
“It’s an honour to be able to bring the popular show to U of O’s francophone audiences, and the response so far has been resoundingly positive,” she says.
Matte credits Ensler with bringing The Vagina Monologues experience to such a large audience and encouraging awareness.
“The fact that we are having discussions about female body image, racialized violence, and inequalities within our society speaks to the work Eve has done,” says Matte. “Of course, she is not a saviour—she certainly isn’t perfect—but I believe that she’s given us a fantastic stage to start a dialogue, and the production is very open to constructive criticism—a vagina dialogue, perhaps.”
Rukiya Mohamad, who will be performing a monologue, supports this belief.
“When I first heard about these monologues, I was a tad taken aback and extremely curious. What could someone possibly say about vaginas? A lot, apparently,” says Mohamad. “Eve’s mission to bring together all different forms of stories and experiences women have had in discovering their vaginas is heart-touching.
“It puts in perspective how [women from] different cultural backgrounds or upbringings view their vagina and the journey they [have] undergone to discover its ‘mysteries’,” she adds.
The biggest impact of the play comes from its fundraising aspect. The performance raises money for many local organizations that are part of the movement to eliminate violence in relationships.
“The proceeds from the show will be going to [several] non-profi t organizations in addition to the VDay.org campaign,” explains Matte. “SASC [Sexual Assault Support Centre of Ottawa] and CALACS [Centre d’aide et de lutte contre les aggressions à caractère sexuel] [provide] 24-hour support lines for women, off ering non-judgmental feminist crisis listening.
“Cornerstone Women’s Shelter is one of the few shelters in the city that off ers comfort and support for women in need,” she continues. “Their facility was almost entirely destroyed by fi re recently and they are in desperate need of support. All of these organizations have seen drastic funding cuts due to the Harper government’s social spending cuts.”
Despite its philanthropic contribution, the production has been known to spark heavy criticism and debate. Many critics claim that the play contains very negative portrayals of heterosexual relationships.
“I think The Vagina Monologues points out the unfortunate realities that most violence experienced by women is done at the hands of men,” says Matte. “This does not mean that hetero relationships are inherently violent.
“I feel that the Monologues attempts to identify pervasive and unequal systems of power in our society as a source of violence—not individual men. It’s also important to note that violence and abuse certainly exist in same-sex relationships and is an issue often ignored.”
Matte hopes that the play will open up more dialogue on these topics and those relating to the status of women worldwide.
“The Vagina Monologues is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and it’s a place to start some great discussions,” says Matte. “[It is] a fascinating, hilarious, and brutally honest discussion—with chocolate vaginas for sale at the end of it!”
Matte urges all interested community members to attend.
“Everyone is welcome,” she says. “It’s not as scary as you think!”
The English production of The Vagina Monologues will take place March 6 at 8 p.m. in the Alumni Auditorium (85 University St.), and the French show is on March 7 at the same time and place. Tickets are being sold at the WRC (UCU 220) and at the SFUO office. Th ey are $10 for students or $15 at the door.
