“The heart is capable of sacrifice. So is the vagina.” Amy Kerrigan spoke these words from the monologue “I Was There in the Room,” from Eve Ensler’s “The Vagina Monologues.” Over the Valentine’s Day weekend, the cast became Vagina Warriors as they educated the West Chester community of what the “V” in V-day means. Anyone who did not know what V-day was quickly learned what the show was about. In the show’s introductiory statement, it was said that V-day is a “global movement to stop violence against women and girls,” and was emphasized by many people wearing shirts with “Please Don’t Touch the Vaginas” printed on them.
On Thursday, Feb. 12, Saturday, Feb. 14, and Sunday, Feb. 15, twenty monologues were performed as well as Eve Ensler’s warrior statement, creating an influential experience for the audience. One monologue titled “The Vagina Workshop” was performed by graduate student, Addie Mair. In it she expressed her thoughts on never actually looking at her vagina. The entire cast performed “I Was 12, My Mother Slapped Me,” which discussed the many different ways a female can react to getting her first period.
Caitlin M. Boston did a stunning performance of “My Angry Vagina,” giving the everyday feminine products a new meaning. In the second half of the show, Emily Holden, Shannon Clark, and Rachel Irvin each portrayed a woman in “The Memory of Her Face.” During this monologue, the three women showed what it was like to be female in other countries.
“A Six-Year Old Girl Was Asked,” performed by director Camitha Shiver, was one of the many comic reliefs of the show, as she portrayed the innocence of a young child. When asked what her vagina smelled like, she delightfully answered, “Snowflakes!”
One of the most daring and outrageous monologues was called “The Woman Who Loved to Make Vaginas Happy,” done by Sarah Peters. She took the stage in the second to last performance and stirred the audience with her rendition of many different types of orgasms. Peters acted out numerous moans on stage including the diva moan, the elegant moan, the college student moan, and the Irish-Catholic moan.
The audience ranged from male to female, young to old, and included students from other colleges as well. A co-coordinator of “The Vagina Monologues” at Kutztown University, Jasmine Escobar, attended Thursday’s event because, “They scratch our vaginas, we scratch theirs. It’s to support each other’s shows,” she said.
The compelling and eye-opening performances came to an end with Coordinators Olivia Meyer, Patricia Wilson, Burton giving Eve Ensler’s Vagina Warrior statement and the acknowledgement of Vagina Warriors everywhere. Profits from “The Vagina Monologues” benefit the Chester County Domestic Violence Center, SAFER, the YWCA of Chester County, and the Chester County Crime Victim Center.