The Memorial Auditorium stage was enveloped in a rose and violet glow as Shippensburg University’s rendition of the “Vagina Monologues” was performed Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings in an effort to raise money to combat rape and sexual assault in Cumberland County.

Proceeds from ticket sales as well as candy sold outside of the theater went toward YWCA, a sexual assault and rape crisis service center located in Carlisle.

“The Vagina Monologues” are based on hundreds of interviews conducted with a focus on asking women about their experiences and relationship with their vagina, something many women are initially reluctant to talk about.

“Women secretly love to talk about their vaginas,” narrator Sara Grove read, “mainly because nobody has ever asked them before.”

Although SU honors many of the monologues in Eve Ensler’s play, the performing Raiders decided to add their own monologue. “I Am Not Company Property,” performed by interim director of the women’s center, Kelsey Roman, addressed sexual harassment in the work place.

“I am not company property,” Roman said sternly, dressed in a business suit as she sat at the desk in front of her.

“I earned this damn job, this career, this promotion. I earned this paycheck!” Roman boasted, face scrunched as she slammed a book down onto the desk.

Throughout the night, the monologues dealt with issues of varying seriousness from the absurdity of tampons to traumatic sexual assault.

About halfway through the play, human communications professor Misty Knight and Prichele Pressley, First Lady of the Void on WSYC, stood on the back corners of the stage to perform “My Vagina Was My Village.”

Knight played an American woman who was raped and Pressley played a Bosnian refugee who was raped.

At first the women were talking about their individual relationship with their vaginas, which when compared side by side seemed starkly different.

But as the two drew closer to speaking about their rape, they gradually inched closer to one another.

By the end of the monologue they were standing side by side.

The final monologue of the night featured women’s center graduate assistant Deb Melenez as a lawyer-turned-sex worker. Melendez oozed confidence as she scorched the stage in a short dress and high heels for the performance of “The Woman Who Liked to Make Vaginas Happy.”

The rest of the cast stood behind Melendez on the glowing red stage.

“I hated those blue corporate suits,” Melendez said, “although I do wear them from time to time in my line of work and they serve quite nicely,” she finished with a playful smirk.

Melendez’s character’s love for moaning was the focal point of her monologue, and by the end of the performance the rest of the cast emitted a collective ground shaking moan.

“It is a great performance. We came last year as well,” SU sophomore Zach Silvia said. Silvia noted that the cast seemed to enjoy performing as much as he liked watching.

SU senior Iisha Hamilton saw the monologues as a powerful and relatable play.

“It is empowering,” Hamilton said, “and it helps women gain confidence.” 

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