Students to hold annual production of "The Vagina Monologues"

SUNY Fredonia will once again participate in the nationwide “V-Day Campaign,” a global campaign held each February that is devoted to preventing and eliminating violence against women and girls.

This includes the production of the play, “The Vagina Monologues,” to be staged in the Multipurpose Room of the Williams Center on the Fredonia campus from Feb. 11 - 13.

All performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. and are intended for mature audiences only. Admission is $4 for students and $6 for the general public.

Organizers recommend that tickets be purchased in advance online at the Ticket Office in the Williams Center.

Students, faculty, staff, community members and the general public are welcome to join in the celebration of womanhood.

V-Day is observed to increase awareness of the fight to stop rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation and sexual slavery. Ninety percent of the proceeds from this year’s productions will benefit The Salvation Army Agnes Home Women’s Shelter in Jamestown, the only licensed domestic violence shelter in Chautauqua County. The balance will go to a spotlight group, the girls and women of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Dr. Ingrid Johnston-Robledo, director of Women’s Studies at SUNY Fredonia, noted, “I think it is so important for our campus to remain actively involved in the V-Day Campaign. It provides our community with an opportunity to contribute to a global feminist initiative. The play itself removes the shrouds of shame and secrecy that often surround women’s genitalia and sexuality as well as their experiences with sexualized violence. Breaking that silence allows for all kinds of things to happen.”

Undergraduates and faculty organize, direct and audition as cast members. This year, Kim Krenzer, a junior TV & Film Production major from West Henrietta, N.Y. , and Erica Rodriquez, a junior Business Management major from Rye, N.Y., are serving as directors. They are joined by Kerry Kane, a sophomore Liberal Arts major from Owego, N.Y, who is the lead organizer of the production, being held for the ninth consecutive year at the university. The cast members engage the audience with raffle prizes, inspiring chants, interesting facts, and even chocolate candy inspired by the female genitalia.

Rodriquez is one of many who are touched and affected by this production. “‘The Vagina Monologues’ is an experience that has opened my eyes to the world,” she said. “Through this show, we are given the chance to learn not only about other women in this world but about ourselves as well. It has introduced me to a group of fantastic and strong women who work very hard to make this production a memorable experience for all. The movement gives us all the chance to help, not only teaching us about what is happening around the world, but also giving us the resources to do something about it. To be a member of this show has given me the opportunity to help many women locally and in the world in a truly rewarding experience.”

“The Vagina Monologues” is a collection of personal stories, both comedic and tragic, about the female body. Playwright Eve Ensler combined hundreds of interviews of women to capture and relay a wide range of female experiences. Their monologues have been performed on stage since 1988.

In addition to the play, a number of other events will occur as part of the V-Day Campaign at SUNY Fredonia, including “Vag-Fest,” a music and poetry-filled fundraiser in downtown Fredonia which also helps raise awareness of both the college’s annual production and the V-Day cause. To learn more,  visit www.vday.org.