The PAGE Center presented “The Vagina Monologues” in McFeely’s Cafe on Feb. 17 and 18.
“The Vagina Monologues” is a play written by Eve Ensler based on real interviews she conducted with more than 200 women.
Admission was free, but donations to YWCA of Carlisle and Women in Need of Chambersburg were encouraged.
Individuals from YWCA and Women in Need spoke to the audience before the show to explain what they do and offer their help to anyone in need.
The PAGE Center also gave the audience a trigger warning, telling them they were welcome to leave at any time. They also reiterated that not everyone with a vagina is a woman and not every woman has a vagina.
The cast of “The Vagina Monologues” was composed of Alyssa Sheriff, April Petesch, Ashley Spencer, Cyn Frazier, Maria Gizas, Sahara McGrath and Vera Urquiza. Urquiza also directed the production.
The show began with the cast explaining the stigma around vaginas, saying they were like the Bermuda Triangle: “Nobody ever reports back from there.”
They explained how the interviews eventually became monologues. The women interviewed were excited to talk about their vaginas, because they had never really been asked about them before.
Urquiza delivered the first monologue, titled “Hair.” In this monologue, the woman describes how her husband made her shave her vagina. She realized that hair is there for a reason, and described it as “the leaf around the flower, the lawn around the house.”
“My Angry Vagina,” delivered by Gizas, describes all of the things created to inflict pain on the vagina, such as tampons, “cold duck lips” and thong underwear. The woman explains how her vagina just wants to be happy, saying, “It wants silence and freedom and gentle kisses and warm liquid and deep touch.”
“My Vagina Was My Village,” delivered by Urquiza, is based on the monologues of Bosnian women subjected to rape camps. “My vagina was green, water soft pink fields, cow mooing sun resting sweet boyfriend touching lightly with soft piece of blonde straw.”
“I Was There in the Room,” delivered by Sheriff, is based on Ensler’s experience witnessing the birth of her grandchild. She describes the beauty of what the vagina is capable of.
“The Vagina Monologues” is an important piece of art for all who have a vagina.
For more information on events held by the PAGE Center, you can go to https://www.ship.edu/life/resources/page/events/.
The Slate welcomes thoughtful discussion on all of our stories, but please keep comments civil and on-topic. Read our full guidelines here.