Monday marked the start of the University of Idaho Women’s Center’s largest annual event — the Vagina Monologues with a free screening of the film “Until the Violence Stops.”
File photo by Alex Aguirre | Argonaut
Louis Descault studies her script during a dress rehearsal for the 2012 production of the Vagina Monologues at the Kenworthy Performing Arts Center. The play is comprised of a number of monologues that aim to bring women-related topics and issues to the forefront. Descault said the play is everything viewers want and need whether they know it or not.
The film detailed how “The Vagina Monologues” grew into a widespread movement now known as V-day.
Many events are scheduled by the Women’s Center for the next three weeks to celebrate the monologues. A V-Men workshop will take place at 5 p.m. today in the Student Diversity Center.
“The workshop is basically to create a space by men and for men, so that we can talk about issues that are typically seen as issues that just relate to women,” said Jordan Clapper, a UI graduate student.
The V-Men workshop is an opportunity for male students to have a comfortable conversation with the goal of sparking action about ending violence against women.
“Male society in general is kind of hush hush about emotions,” Clapper said. “It’s not manly to feel something, even if it’s passion about stopping violence against women. It’s not okay for men to say that all the time. So by having this environment where men can talk, where they can have a voice, and feel safe, men will be influenced to be more aware of these situations.”
Clapper said men are connected to this issue in many ways, because they aren’t always the perpetrators in cases of violence against women. There are many other ways that men can be involved and have a reason to attend this workshop, he said.
“Almost every man has a woman somewhere that they care about,” Clapper said. “It could be your mother, it could be your aunt, your grandmother, your sister, your daughter. You don’t have to have a personal connection, but almost every man does have a personal connection to some woman. How would you feel if that woman was made a victim? If the answer is that it makes you feel awful, this is probably the place for you.”
The V-Men workshop is just one of the many events taking place on campus to put a stop to violence against women. The performance of “The Vagina Monologues” will start Thursday and end Saturday with a final showing at 7 p.m. at the Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre. Tickets are being sold in advance for $12 and will be sold at the door for $18.
Lysa Salsbury, Women’s Center director, said most people who see “The Vagina Monologues” leave speechless, and it sometimes takes people a few days before they feel comfortable talking about what they saw.
That is what the Vagina Monologues Talk-Back session is for. The Talk-Back will take place at 12:30 p.m. Feb. 12 in the Whitewater room in the Idaho Commons.
“It doesn’t have a lot of breathing room,” said Max Cowan, ASUI president and director of “The Vagina Monologues.” “I think that’s what’s great about it. That’s what makes it exciting to watch, it’s always presenting you with new information, new ideas and new stories. But that’s also what gives an information overload and I think that some people take that and they become excited and energized and some people, it takes them a few days to really let it soak in.”
“The Vagina Monologues” features a wide variety of female actors from around the Moscow community.
One of the stars, senior Hannah Davis, said she hopes “The Vagina Monologues” will continue to make people aware. She said the monologues are moving and just by reading them, she realized how much impact they can hold, they’re so much more than just girls talking about vaginas and she hopes that people can come to realize that by watching the performance.
There are other actors in the performance who aren’t students. Jeanette Humphreys works at Moscow High School in their Special Education program. Humphreys decided to take part in the monologues, not because she has seen and enjoyed the performance before, but because of her personal connection to the words.
“I have three daughters,” Humphreys said. “Our family has experienced violence, so it’s something that is kind of very in the forefront for me. When you have a daughter instead of a son, there’s a whole different set of rules because your child has a vagina. And you have to protect them a little more, and teach them to protect themselves.”
Cowan said the biggest issue on the UI campus in terms of gender inequality is the same issue affecting the entire nation and culture — sexual assault. He said it’s something that disproportionally affects women, and so it influences the standards of how women and men should act in modern society.
“Despite it being called ‘The Vagina Monologues,’ I don’t think anyone needs to be afraid,” Cowan said. “People hear ‘The Vagina Monologues,’ and the word ‘vagina’ and they shut off. Especially to men in the audience, men are really taught that vaginas are something for secret, they’re something that you look at on the Internet. You can still keep that mystery, and come to ‘The Vagina Monologues.'”
Erin Bamer can be reached at [email protected]
