On Feb. 24, the Extra Theatre Company (ETC) at Meredith College presented two showings of its annual production of The Vagina Monologues—a 2 p.m. matinee performance and a 7:30 p.m. performance in the Studio Theatre of Jones Auditorium. The original production was written in 1994 and in 1998 inspired the creation of V-Day, a worldwide movement to end violence against women and girls. The $10-per-ticket proceeds from this year’s performance went to benefit InterAct of Wake County, a nonprofit that provides resources for those who have experienced sexual assault and domestic violence.
The Vagina Monologues has been produced at Meredith for over 10 years; fittingly, ETC wrote in the program that the performance was “dedicated to all of the brave women who came before us and all of the women we hope to inspire in the future.” The Vagina Monologues is a collection of monologues written by Eve Ensler about real-life female’s accounts of their femininity as it relates to their vaginas. The narratives in the production come from a range of women of different races, age groups, sexualities and genders assigned at birth. While the topic seems at first to be very specific, the production discusses a variety issues affecting women in our country, from sexual harassment to body positivity to transgender identity.
Despite there being less than a week between the audition and the performances, the cast put on an impressive show. Tessa Minnich, ‘19, who delivered “The Flood,” explained, “This was my first time acting. Hannah Johns, the director, encouraged me to audition and participate in The Vagina Monologues. I am so happy I did it! I enjoyed [reading] my monologue and it was nice hearing a few laughs while I performed.”
Those considering attending the show in the future should keep in mind that it features explicit language and discusses sensitive topics. ETC produces The Vagina Monologues every Feb. at Meredith.
By Kathleen Daly, Staff Writer, and Caroline Garrett, A&E Editor