Features Reporter
Photos by Chris Clark
('The Vagina Monologues' cast members place their hands on freshman Virginia Farley to create a “human vagina" for the cast photo.)
Lately, the CMU theater department has been full of busy ladies. From Feb. 27-March 8, the musical rendition of Legally Blonde hit the stage, showcasing how the most unlikely of characters can defeat gender stereotypes in the upper class.
Sticking with the theme of empowered women, acting/directing major Jordan Chantel decided to finish off her career at CMU by bringing back a show that was once a mainstay at Mesa State College for many years. After an extended break, “The Vagina Monologues” has returned to Grand Junction.
“The Vagina Monologues” is a collection of interviews from various women of all different areas of the world compiled by the show’s original creator, Eve Ensler. The interviews deal with the many different aspects of womanhood and range from the humorous necessities of certain feminine hygiene products to traumatic accounts of rape and domestic abuse.
According to Chantel, the goal of the show is to raise awareness about domestic abuse and how closely it can affect students on college campuses.
“I think this campus needed the show to be brought back,” she said. “The age ranges of 18-24 are the people that undergo domestic violence the most, and we are living in that range right now.”
(Music theatre majors Rachel Boyce and Abby Calvert apply lipstick and kiss a white piece of paper for 'The Vagina Monologues' program.)
Cast member Hannah Fisher described her excitement for the upcoming show and the potential it has to make a lasting impact on the audience.
“I’m honored to be a part of this show,” Fisher said. “I think it’s very empowering and if more women had the chance to read these monologues, it would be really beneficial.”
The show is also acting as a fundraiser for several charity organizations. Proceeds from ticket sales as well as merchandise and a silent auction are going to The Latimer House, a local organization dedicated to combating domestic violence on the Western Slope, and the global activist group V-Day. The show will also feature a new monologue about One Billion Rising, an event coordinated by V-Day on Valentine’s Day that involved women from all different countries dancing to represent their cause to end violence against women.
While the show is focused more toward women, Chantel explained that the message could be for both men and women.
“We want all sexes to come to the show because it’s not just women undergoing violence. It’s men as well,” she said. “It can happen in straight and gay relationships from either partner, and a lot of people don’t know about it. I want this show to bring awareness to domestic violence and help a good cause here in Grand Junction.”
Performances of “The Vagina Monologues” will run March 20-22 at 7:30 in the Mesa Experimental Theatre in the Moss Performing Arts building.
mfreter@mavs.coloradomesa.edu
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