Vagina Monologues' to be Presented Feb. 7-8

"The Vagina Monologues" will be presented at 7 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 7 and 8, in the Studio Theatre (Room 314) of Wallman Hall at Fairmont State. This is the fourth annual presentation, which is sponsored by the Fairmont State BiGLS, the Honors Program and the Women's Studies Program.

Students and faculty members taking part in the performance are Tessa Shackelford; Dana Sayre; Kendra Holdren; Sara Baxa; Joby Chadwell; Majesta Davis; Elizabeth Savage; Sarah Starkey; Rebecca Stose; Jessica Bunner; Stephanie Falkiner; Jessica Crawford; Donna Long; Amanda Carrico; and Jessica Kirak-McGinn. Lauren Zirk is directing and Meredith Byrd is co-directing.

Translated into more than 35 languages, "The Vagina Monologues" is touring 20 North American cities from October 2005 through April 2006. This does not count the numbers of college and university performances that will take place across the country during that time. Consisting of a changing series of dialogues based upon her interviews with more than 200 women, "The Vagina Monologues" was written by Eve Ensler, playwright, performer and activist. The experiences Ensler had during the performances of the play led her to create V-Day, "a global movement to stop violence against women and girls." The play "celebrates women's sexuality and strength with humor and grace."

Now V-Day, born in 1998, "is a global movement which supports anti-violence organizations throughout the world, helping them to continue and expand their core work on the ground, while drawing public attention to the larger fight to stop worldwide violence (including rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation and sexual slavery) against women and girls."

"When you attend a performance of "The Vagina Monologues" at Fairmont State, you are joining an international audience who actively support the idea that violence against women and girls is unacceptable and who further hope that they will experience a time when all women live in safety and V-Day becomes known as Victory Over Violence Day," said Marian Hollinger, Fine Arts Advocate for Fairmont State.