Carleton’s annual production of The Vagina Monologues closed in the crowded Bell Theatre March 3, to a wide audience and a standing ovation.
In the ’90s, activist and playwright Eve Ensler asked all the women she interviewed for The Vagina Monologues the same question: if your vagina could talk, what would it say?
Vaginas Against Violence, the club that puts on Ensler’s play every year at Carleton, didn’t disappoint the play’s well-known ability to make the audience roar from laughter and cry within its playtime. The show covered a wide range of areas, including sexuality, abuse, rape, childbirth, feminism, and sex workers.
Ten per cent of all the show’s proceeds went to the V-Day Campaign, which aims to end violence and sexual abuse towards girls and women across the world. The other 90 per cent went to Ottawa Rape Crisis Centre (ORCC).
Sandy Onyalo from the ORCC thanked the crowd and the organizers for the donation.
“There’s a lot of discussion over mental health but not many around sexual violence and mental health, and sexual violence and addictions,” Onyalo said.
She said the ORCC is “honoured every year that they select us.” Although she’s seen the play before at Carleton, Onyalo says she notices “that every single year it’s slightly different, which is kind of nice for those who are coming every single year.”
There were noticeably more Canadian and local themes than in the original play. The show included even OC Transpo orgasm jokes, but also raised awareness for indigenous women across the world.
Sarah van den Berg, fourth-year communication studies student, organizer, and actor of the event, has been involved with The Vagina Monologues for three years. When asked to describe the show, she said it’s “very inspiring and it always breeds a very awesome cast of incredible women. I’ve just been drawn to their energy every year.”
Despite some technical difficulties, van den Berg said “there’s always stuff that goes wrong, but I think everyone had a very positive experience so we’re feeling great.”
Emily Shoff, fourth-year social work student, actor in the show, and member of Vaginas Against Violence, said that participating in the show is “very, very empowering.”
The audience were very enthusiastic and visibly enjoyed themselves during the play.
“We have a lot of vagina lovers in the crowd,” Shoff said during the intermission.
