Monologues to amuse, on women's concerns

Women’s History Month will continue Tuesday and Wednesday evening in Brighton Lecture hall with the production of Eve Ensler’s “The Vagina Monologues”. The play is scheduled to take place at 7 p.m. each night, and this year’s production includes an interesting twist.

Adam Rust, a senior History major, is the first male to direct the play at ESU and is one of only a few male directors to ever direct the play internationally.

“It’s rare to have a man direct this play,” said Karen Manners Smith, associate professor of history and faculty advisor for People Organized for Women’s Equal Rights. POWER organizes the play for production every year.

Rust, a member of POWER, had expressed interest in directing but the organization was unsure if it would be allowed by V-Day, an organization concerned with women’s issues that was founded by Ensler. “We contacted V-Day and they said we could have a male direct,” Smith said. “They were very pleased about it, in fact.”

Rust expressed that the experience of directing, though a departure from the norm, has been a positive one overall. “I was blessed with a wonderful cast,” Rust said. “They are enthusiastic about the work and it shows.”

The play is an assortment of monologues given by different actors in different personas. The monologues address numerous women’s concerns and seek to be entertaining while also inform audience members.

“The Vagina Monologues” celebrates its tenth anniversary this year. According to a public statement made by V-Day, over 3,700 events are planned around the world this year to bring attention to the anti-violence against women movement, of which ESU’s production is a part.

Other events include film screenings, protests and charity benefits.According to Smith, V-Day releases the rights to the play once a year for a few weeks falling in February and March. The play is available free of charge to productions featuring casts composed of all amateur actresses.

V-Day sends scripts along with materials to create advertisements for the performances. According to Smith, the play will include a new monologue concerning Hurricane Katrina this year.

One of the stipulations the organizations has concerning the performance is that there must be a fee charged to patrons attending. The proceeds from the play will go directly to a charity of the production’s choice. Proceeds from ESU’s performance will go to Services Offering Safety, Plumb Place and an additional international charity. POWER also plans to sell sweets at the performance to raise additional funds for the charities.

The actual costs for producing the play are small and were covered this year by the Ethnic and Gender Studies committee. The play has no costumes and no actual set aside from three black stools, a black stand and a notebook containing the monologues.

This will be the eighth year the play has been produced at ESU. It is held annually at ESU in conjunction with Women’s History Month. After eight years of production, Smith stresses that the themes advocated by V-Day and the play are still relevant.

“This is a chance to focus on women’s issues,” Smith said. “Some people may think that there is no need to fight for equality but not everything has been solved.”