On March 8, 9 and 11, People Organizing for Women’s Equal Rights (P.O.W.E.R.) will sponsor a performance to raise awareness and funds to help those affected by domestic abuse.

In the past, P.O.W.E.R. has sponsored the performance of “The Vagina Monologues,” however, this year the program will be a little different. Instead of “The Vagina Monologues,” a group of students will perform a collection of monologues edited by the writer of “The Vagina Monologues,” Eve Ensler, entitled “A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant, A Prayer.”

Cait Costelloe, senior sociology major and president of P.O.W.E.R., explained how this year’s performance is a bit different from “The Vagina Monologues.”

“Basically this show is a different set of monologues meant to include men into the performance,” Costelloe said.

“The Vagina Monologues” is made up of monologues intended to be performed by women, while “A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant, A Prayer” includes monologues intended to be performed by men.

“(Behind) the inclusion of men in this production is the underlying idea that any improvements upon the condition of women requires the support of all people regardless of gender, class, or race, and that’s why we find it so important to make feminism for men and women,” Costelloe said.

Ryan Scully, junior theater major, directed this year’s show. Scully said that he has been proud of how the production has been coming along.

“I am very proud of it so far,” he said. “The actors have really been bringing it together, and they have really been able to bring to life these powerful messages in the monologues, even though it is something that they have never necessarily dealt with personally.”

The performances will take place in the Memorial Union Ballroom, and tickets will be sold for $2 for students and $3 for non-students.

All of the proceeds from the performances will go to SOS, a group dedicated to ending domestic abuse, and 10 percent of the proceeds for the show will go to women in The Democratic Republic of Congo, which is the spotlight campaign charity this year for V Day, a global organization devoted to helping domestic violence victims worldwide.

According to Scully, the group of 13 actors involved in the production have been working for a little over three weeks, and Scully says he has been able to meet with every actor in the production at least once a week.

Scully also stressed why he feels this production is a good way to address the issue of domestic violence.

“People can really grasp it this way,” he said. “A lot of times, it is easy for some people to hide from this issue, but this show allows them to see this issue in a comfortable manner.”

Scully said the show is a good way to discuss an issue pertinent to our society.

“I think if people give this show a chance, they will see that it is a good way to express a meaningful message,” he said. “I think this is a topic everyone cares about, and this show shows it in a way that everyday people can relate to, because the characters are everyday people,” he said.

The inclusion of men in this production is the main difference between this show and “The Vagina Monologues,” and is something Scully views as a good thing.

“Men in this production is good, because a lot of people think that only women care about (domestic violence), but this show let’s people see that there are men who are very sympathetic to the cause,” he said.

Ellen Hansen, associate professor and chair of the social sciences department who has been helping P.O.W.E.R., expressed why she felt this performance is important.

“To me, (this) performance… represents women’s ongoing efforts to find their voices regarding sexuality, domestic violence, sexual assault, and self esteem,” Hansen said. “The ‘Monologues’ and all the events that go along with the performance highlight the fact that violence against women continues and affects millions of women around the world. The importance of the (performance of ‘A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant, A Prayer’ is) that the violence not be ignored, whether through shame and embarrassment or through deliberate efforts to hide the reality; that women know they are not alone in their experience – and that we can work together, men and women, to end domestic violence around the world.”

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