The audience had a chance to write support notes to the cast members. Photo by Kayla Godfrey.
Power, change, orgasm, vagina and pain, these were a few of the emotions and words that were instilled into the hearts of the audience during a controversial yet unforgettable performance.
The Vagina Monologues opened on Friday, March 1, and ran through Saturday, March 2, in the UC Grand Room.
The two day performance brought a full house each night with many students, staff and community members who wanted to find out what the buzz was all about surrounding the extremely popular production.
The cast was made up of female WCU staff and students who all came together with one goal in mind: To raise awareness in the fight to stop violence against women.
“I wanted to be in the monologues because I felt that it would be a safe, supportive group of women who were all focused on progression towards ending domestic abuse. I feel like the movement is very powerful and inspirational and it has brought women across the country to have a stronger sense of empowerment and belief that their voice matters,” said Julia Bayne, a cast member.
The Vagina Monologues was written by Eve Ensler in 1996 who interviewed 200 women all over the world on a series of personal questions about their “down there”, violence against women and relationships and the answers that the women gave Ensler, became the Vagina Monologues.
Ansler created these monologues as a way to help women raise awareness against the many issues in their own communities and around the world such as incest, rape, battery, and female genital mutilation.
But for some, being in the room during the monologues can make them feel uneasy, or shy because most of the topics are not the most comforting and as the show progresses, the language grows stronger and the content becomes very sexually explicit, causing many people to not return for the second act of the performance.
“The moaning made me feel awkward. I’m just not very comfortable with hearing some one moan like that in public”, said Jasmine Sales a student who attended the performance.
Included in being at the performance was the opportunity to get emotional guidance or help at the back of the room before or after the show. WCU’s Counseling and Psychological Services, along with REACH of Macon County and a handful of other organizations were there with their tables providing assistance.
The performance of the monologues has reached millions all over the world and will continue to do so as many college campuses and its surrounding communities join together every year to educate and carry on Ensler’s vision for peace through the showing of the monologues.
