Sonoma State Star

Issue date: 3/4/08 Section: Arts and Entertainment

From left to right: Brittney Summerhill, Laurel Visher, Danielle Zelisko and Jewel McLain outside Oliver's Market, fundrasing for "The Vagina Monologues." [Click to enlarge]

I bet you did a double take when you saw the title. Sorry to disappoint, but this isn't about sex. However, this IS about vaginas.
If you had walked into a rehearsal for "The Vagina Monologues," it's likely you would have heard the words "My vagina feels…" or some sort of equivalent at any given moment.
Currently, my vagina feels extremely exhilarated.
Why? Because I just stepped off of the stage from performing one of the monologues that kicks the production off, "Hair."
It's about a lady who explains how her husband claimed the demise of their marriage began from her unwillingness to shave off her pubic hair. Yet despite the absurdity of the request, even when she reluctantly complied, he never really stopped screwing around.
Learning the monologue and developing the character was fun, but it would have been just another play for me had it not been for the cast and Suzanne Vargas, our director.
My experience with theatre up to this point, while extensive, was bittersweet at best.
What made this particular play different for me was that I had a director who went to great lengths to create a community among us "vaginas."
We spent most of the first month simply getting to know each other and talking about how we and our vaginas were feeling.
It may sound silly to some, but I can still say that now, the night before closing, I see us hugging, freak dancing, laughing, and bonding with each other.
There is no cattiness, gossip, backstabbing, or competition- just love and support.
Suzanne succeeded in showing all of us that there is a safe place for women to come together and just be.
If you're a woman, you know how powerful and magical this is.
Every week, no matter how tired and stressed out I was at the beginning of rehearsal, I would feel more relaxed and at peace at the end because I knew that I had a group of 25 great women to go to while participating in a great cause all at once.
It is exactly what the writer, Eve Ensler, had in mind when she wrote these monologues.
Her goal was to give women an opportunity to come together and reach empowerment through speaking out and raising money against sexual assault. Eight thousand dollars and 25 happy, empowered vaginas later, I am proud to say that I was given the chance to be a part of a production that achieved these worthwhile goals.
Mar. 1, [was] closing night of this play. And while I will now have more free time, I am extremely sad to see the end of this production come along.
I will miss the hugs, the giggling, the singing, and screaming "PUSSIES UNITE!" at each other. It's not every day a girl gets to walk up to her fellow female friend and greet her with, "Hey VAGINA!"
Being in "The Vagina Monologues" not only restored my faith in the magic of theatre, but in the power of community. This has been my best experience in college so far, and I will never forget it.

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