Issues of female sexuality and empowerment take center stage tonight in Pruis Hall. The Vagina Monologues, an episodic play featuring females discussing all matters related to their anatomy, begins at 7 p.m. The production runs at the same time on Saturday and Sunday.
The controversial play, which premiered in New York City in 1996, has become part of a global V-Day movement to stop violence against women and girls, according to vday.org.
"The goal is to raise awareness about issues that women face about sexuality," senior cast member Susan Atkinson said. "It gives the message for women to be proud of who they are."
Atkinson said that the "atmosphere is very casual, like we're having a conversation with each member of the audience," and director Aruna Kumaran said that the cast consists of "mostly women without acting experience, which is really cool because it makes the show more about storytelling than acting."
Though each monologue deals with universal themes, such as acceptance and defining one's own identity, several of the cast members said that they feel strongly about their specific piece.
Erica Godfrey's monologue, "They Beat the Girl Out of My Boy ... Or So They Tried," deals with issues facing transgender men and women in today's society. Godfrey, a transgender 2005 Ball State University graduate, said that the role is an empowering one for her.
"I hope people walk away with an understanding that no matter how different some people might be, there are always similarities you can find to better bring together not just people but the entire community," Godfrey said.
Kumaran said that audience members can expect to laugh a lot and to cry a little bit, too.
"Men who come can get a better understanding of women in their lives and women will come away hopefully feeling better about their bodies and feeling that there is a community of women who all understand," she said.
The Vagina Monologues runs approximately two hours and consists of 11 individual monologues and four ensemble pieces. During the intermission, information regarding various women's issues will be on display in the Pruis lobby, and audience members will have the opportunity to leave their handprint on one of two banners. Tickets are available in advance in the Women's Studies office, Burkhardt 108, for $5 and cost $7 at the door. Proceeds of the show will go to the Muncie's women's shelter and Comfort Women, an organization which seeks awareness and reparations for women who were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military during World War II.
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