This Valentine’s Day, you should go see “The Vagina Monologues,” which will be performed all over the globe. And if you’re reading this because you live in or near downtown Phoenix, you should go see the performance of “The Vagina Monologues” at The Pressroom.
Now, total disclosure, I am in said performance. But as much as I want people to come see me talk about vaginas, that’s not the main reason you should go.
The real reason is threefold:
First, proceeds from the ticket sales, raffle and silent auction will benefit the Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence, a metropolitan Phoenix-based organization that raises awareness about sexual and domestic violenceĀ and provides support for those who have experienced it.
Second, our society discourages women from talking about their bodies and their experiences, and in fact, it often shames them for doing so. Sure, it can be titillating to hear a bunch of women get up on stage and say the word “vagina” — along with dozens of euphemisms for it — but why is that? Why is this particular body part funny? And is it wrong to laugh at it?
Come to the show and I guarantee you will laugh. You’ll also feel more comfortable talking about vaginas, whether they’re your own, your partner’s, or your friend’s.
Third, “The Vagina Monologues” is exactly what it sounds like — a set of monologues about vaginas. It was written by Eve Ensler and is based off of more than 200 interviews she conducted with women of a variety of races, ethnicities, ages, sexual orientations and gender identities. Topics range from body image and reclaiming language to sexual assault and rape to the experiences of sex workers and transgender women.
Many of the stories told in “The Vagina Monologues” would go unheard if not for performances like this one. Come with an open mind and a desire to sympathize or empathize with the women on stage and the women’s stories they’re telling. Support these women and listen to them. Do not discount their experiences.
Sexual assault statistics are staggering. Often, we’re confronted with these numbers so frequently that we become numb to them, but I want you to pause and take a second to truly consider these numbers, all from the Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence:
- Nearly one in five women have been raped in their lifetime.
- One in four women have experienced severe physical violence at the hands of an intimate partner.
- Every three days in Arizona, someone dies in a domestic violence-related incident.
An easy way to put this in perspective is to think of people you know. One in five women you know have been raped in their lifetime. One in four women you know have experienced severe physical violence at the hands of an intimate partner. That’s a lot more terrifying than a faceless statistic, isn’t it?
This is a slightly flawed way of thinking, though. Specific demographics of women are at a higher risk for sexual and domestic violence than others, such as women who are homeless or who identify as LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer). And yes, it is important to remember that men experience sexual and domestic violence, as well.
We should not have to have this conversation, though. Those statistics should not exist. And the only way to accomplish that is through conversations like the ones that form around “The Vagina Monologues,” when people are honest and open-minded, when people both listen and share their own experiences.
I invite you to do that this Valentine’s Day. And if you can’t make it to the performance, I understand. There’s always next year. But please, still take the time to think about these topics.
If you’re spending Valentine’s Day with a woman, ask her what it’s like to be her. Ask her what she experiences, what things bother her, what things make her happy. And if you are a woman, tell someone about that. Share your stories. Write your own monologue.
“The Vagina Monologues” will be performed at the Pressroom on Madison Street and Fifth Avenue on Saturday. Doors open at 7 p.m., the performance begins at 8 p.m. and it will be followed by a One Billion Rising party with other performances, live art, a food truck, silent auction and a raffle. Tickets are $25 in advance, $10 for students; to purchase, see http://www.vdayphx.com/. Two ASL interpreters will be signing the performance.
If you can’t make that performance, there are several other options.
There will be two separate productions at {9} the Gallery on Grand Avenue and Pierce Street on Friday at 8 p.m. and on Saturday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door; all proceeds go to the Fresh Start Women’s Foundation, headquartered in metropolitan Phoenix. To purchase, see http://vdayphx.brownpapertickets.com/.
Finally, there will be two performances the following weekend, at 7 p.m. on Feb. 20 and Feb. 21, at Phoenix College on Osborn Road and 10th Avenue. This production is presented by Deaf Bridge, Phoenix Deaf Women Organization and Phoenix College ASL PAH Club. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. To purchase, see http://pdwoaz.wix.com/vaginasigns#!/c1h6a.
Contact the author at kimberly.koerth@asu.edu
