V-Day at UCI was founded in 2007. For the past three years, I’ve walked by their booths and posters around campus but I never wandered over. I finally decided to change that in my fourth year.
I didn’t even know what the play was about. I just knew that it had the word “vagina” in the title and that it made a lot of people uncomfortable. During Fall Quarter one of my classmates invited me to audition and I asked her what it was about. She told me that it was a series of monologues about the experience of being a woman and explained a bit more but we were in class and she didn’t have the time to finish.
I didn’t have to hear anything else though. The Vagina Monologues was something I wanted to be a part of.
I did more than wander over; I auditioned. I didn’t audition to be part of the cast because I can’t speak to an individual, let alone a few hundred people. I’m part of the crew now, and I’m so glad!
I’ve become part of a group that includes some of the strongest people I know. They care so much about people and many of them are very involved in various campus organizations. Our show runners work so hard to make sure the production is going along well, that it’s hard to remember that they are students just like the rest of us.
And what is The Vagina Monologues about? The play is a series of stories about women. It raises awareness about the difficult situations women go continue to go through. It raises awareness about double standards, it reclaims the word “cunt,” but it is also part of a larger movement called V-Day.
V-Day’s goal is to empower people and end violence against women. Their slogan is “until the violence stops.” The production of The Vagina Monologues helps V-Day raise money for different organizations which help survivors and promote education and preventive measures. V-Day at UCI donated just under $7000 to resource offices on campus, like the CARE Office and the LGBT Center, last year alone.
Is play perfect? No, definitely not. It is written by a white woman who tells the stories of various women, including women of color. It didn’t include the experiences of transgender people until recently. It includes various scenarios that are problematic but as one of our showrunners said “just because it is problematic, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t talk about it.”
The play is not perfect, but it has helped many people, and they have made many attempts to learn and grow. If you have any ideas on how to do that, you are welcome. If you don’t have a vagina or don’t identify as a woman, you are welcome too. I know the production team for The Vagina Monologues at UCI appreciates the help and support from everyone.
The production team will be particularly busy this month. You’ll be able to find sweets and baked goods at the Cunt Cafe on Ring Road from February 6th through 10th.
Day of Action is on Friday, February 10th. We will be protesting the red tape that survivors face when they want to pursue justice.
One Billion Rising will take place in Los Angeles on Saturday, February 11th. The campaign because of the statistic that one in three women will be beaten or raped during her lifetime, which adds up to more than one billion women. It calls for people to take action against violence that women face.
Show days are on February 23rd, 24th, and 25th. We do hope you’ll come catch a show!
Follow The Vagina Monologues on Instagram @vdayuci for updates.
