During Wednesday night's performance of Eve Ensler's "The Vagina Monologues," one cast member loudly and convincingly demonstrated what a "triple orgasm" might sound like. The rendition, which elicited nervous laughter from much of the audience, is representative of the overall goal of the V-Day program at Dartmouth to raise awareness and encourage open conversations about female sexuality.
Wednesday night's packed show in the Moore Theater at the Hopkins Center which marked the 10th annual performance of "The Vagina Monologues" at Dartmouth tactfully presented the occasionally provocative material. The monologues, which range in content from the rape of a Bosnian refugee to one woman's frustration with vaginal upkeep procedures, were adapted by Ensler from interviews with women of all shapes, sizes and sexual preferences.
According to Aviva Lillian '10, co-director of this year's program, the performance addresses how sexuality can play both a positive and a destructive role in our lives, and how that negativity is exacerbated by closed lines of communication.
The tendency for people to skirt the issue of sexuality, specifically by avoiding the word "vagina" in everyday conversations, is one of the themes that runs through almost all of the monologues. The opening act essentially a laundry list of the euphemisms we use for the word was a fitting introduction, as it encouraged audience members to consider the implications of our usage of slang. The subsequent monologues often recalled the opening scene as each monologue has its own vernacular for sexuality.
The monologues were presented by solo performers and ensembles and also included an opening performance by members of the Rockapellas.
While the accents adopted by performers during some monologues could be distracting, each segment was moving and managed to directly address sensitive sexual issues without becoming crude or aggressive.
Most scenes used comedy to deliver messages about female sexual liberation. Many of these jokes elicited hearty laughter, but at times the serious subject matter overpowered the humor of the punch lines, leaving the auditorium silent.
According to Lillian, this year was the first time the "Monologues" took place in the Moore theater.
"This year we knew we wanted to make it really big so we got the Moore," Lillian told The Dartmouth.
The audience filled both the main floor and balcony of the theater, marking an important success for the V-Day initiative. According to Lillian, attracting a larger audience moves V-Day goals forward both financially, through ticket sales, and ideologically by exposing at least a portion of the Dartmouth community to the message of the monologues.
The majority of this year's profit will be used to support organizations in the Upper Valley area that fight violence against women, Lillian said. In the past, V-Day efforts raised up to $3,000.
The show is the product of efforts by a large group of students. According to Lillian, there are 59 women in the cast alone. The V-Day committee and production team pushes the total number of people involved to over a hundred.
While the majority of the monologues composing the play do not change from year to year, the international V-Day organization spearheaded by Ensler chooses a "spotlight" organization or cause and a new monologue to go with it. For this year's cause, 10 percent of the profits from the V-Day program at Dartmouth will be sent to support the City of Joy, an initiative working to establish a trauma center for women who are the victims of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
"The title [of the play] can be off-putting to people who have never discussed vaginas before, but every dollar that we make goes directly to organizations that are fighting violence against women," Lillian said.
"The Vagina Monologues" will have its second and final performance tonight at 7 p.m. in Moore. The program is sponsored by a variety of local businesses and on-campus organizations.
