Vagina. It's not a word that women talk about with great excitement or revere.
"It sounds like an infection, at best, maybe a medical instrument," said one actress in Tuesday night's performance of "The Vagina Monologues." "Hurry nurse! Bring me the vagina!"
The department of theatre and dance's performance of Eve Ensler's controversial play was performed to two sold out audiences last Tuesday and Wednesday evenings in the Drama Theater of the Center for the Arts. The proceeds benefited UB's Anti-Rape Task Force.
Based on interviews with 200 women of different ages, races and cultural backgrounds, "The Vagina Monologues" is critically acclaimed. Its comedy, poignancy and truth have kept audiences around the world captivated for the last four years.
The performance, composed of short dramatizations from each of the 14 actresses involved, dealt with topics ranging from sexual assault to personal triumphs, from self-discovery to self-loathing. Each was centered on the female body and the complexities women must endure because of culture, stereotypes and patriarchal thought.
Each monologue had a different topic, and the points of view expressed varied from that of a 72-year-old woman sharing her embarrassing experiences with her first sexual encounter and the psychological damage it caused, to the teachings a five-year-old girl received early in life about touching her private parts.
Perhaps the most moving was the piece about the rape and genital mutilation of a Bosnian woman. This piece was a powerful depiction of the tortures women in Bosnia endured as what the play described "a systematic tactic of war." This monologue brought to life scenes so vivid, the audience sat in stunned silence after its completion. The only sounds audible were the sniffling of choked-up audience members, just before the theater erupted into thunderous applause.
The evening was filled with a lot of laughter, offsetting the tears, as well. One monologue, performed by Nicole Formato, a junior, discussed the absurdity of "miracle products" such as tampons, douches and thongs.
Though many of the pieces were comical, that didn't make the subject matter any easier for the performers involved.
"It was really hard to say some of the things we had to say," said Formato. It took Formato a long time to be able to say "Vagina Motherf-rs" with a straight face, she said.
But the process of preparing the show made the actresses more comfortable with themselves than they had ever been before.
"It makes you feel great to be who you are," said Michelle Snyder, a senior and performer in the show.
Hilary Walker, a freshman performer, said the message the play both taught her, and delivered to the audience, was to "express your sexuality, be comfortable with yourself, love yourself."
Anna Post, a senior, said she enjoyed acting in the show, specifically because the subject matter was relevant to every woman.
"Everyone can identify," she said.
Lucinda Brady, a senior, agreed and spoke about the intimate connection the audience made with the performers through the subject matter. The joys and sorrows these young actresses conveyed are shared by women around the world.
There was, however, a surprising amount of men in the audience both evenings. Gianluca Dimuccio, a senior, was among those in attendance at Tuesday's performance. He enjoyed the show not only for its artistic appeal, but also felt the message was one of great importance to both genders.
"I don't understand how [men] could not enjoy it," he said.
The play has been performed in New York City since 1998, and traveled to UB as part of V-Day's College Campaign, a program that visits over 500 college campuses a year. V-Day, a global movement centered on ending violence against women, raises money for anti-violence and anti-rape causes around the country.
This year, the proceeds were donated to Sub-Board I's Anti-Rape Task Force, which operates a walk-service and a van-service free of charge for students on campus. ARTF also sponsors an education program including several workshops during the year.
In addition to the profits generated by ticket sales, the University Bookstore, which set up a small stand in the CFA atrium, donated 10 percent of its profits to ARTF.
For more information on "The Vagina Monologues," or how to get involved with V-Day, visit http://www.vday.org.
