Vaginas Galore! Eve Ensler’s Vagina Monologues Performed by Purchase Students

Allison Portney is normally seen heading a PSGA fundraiser or running around campus organizing an event. Last weekend, she was directing the Vagina Monologues, which played for its eight annual year at Purchase. Allison’s vision: to make the monologues a bigger event than ever before. The show had been performed in the past in small venues, but with the help of assistant director Denise Kelly and producer Jakob Backer , she was able to move the event into the Performing Arts Center. Besides moving the event, the team was also able get a large amount in attendance at the benefit concert as well. All of the earnings went to the RAINN organization (Rape and Incest National Network) and to V-Day. Their donation goal was about $5000.

At the benefit, which took place a the Stood on March 4, students and cast alike could buy Vagina Lollipops, Wet Dream Pie, and other obscenely named desserts. T-shirts were also available, as was music. The sets ranged from Mal Blum to Mokaad to Menya, who are all Purchase favorites. Students donated their nickels and dimes, which quickly added up to about one thousand dollars for charity.

The show itself took place on March 5, 6, and 7. It was double casted, which allowed for each performance to be a little different, but without losing the underlying message: empowerment for vaginas everywhere. Portney told her cast, “I know it’s corny, but read loud and read from your hearts,” which her cast did on all three nights. Audiences particularly loved Rachel Moses as “The Woman Who Loved to Make Vaginas Happy”, who imitated the moans of her various “clients” while ordering the directors to move her chair on and off center stage.

The energy of the cast on stage was also apparent. Sophomore Lizzie Gelhar read “Because He Liked to Look At It” and claimed that the “bonding between this cast made the show a success and a great time.” The cast had had its fair share of bonding, especially at group rehearsals. They had begun at the beginning of the semester. At these sessions, the cast discussed their feelings, their loves, and (of course) their vaginas.

The total amount to be donated to RAINN is still being calculated, however, between the three performances there was about 450 people in attendance. They all weren’t women’s studies majors either. Nick Dank, a new media major and transfer student, was surprised at how much he enjoyed the show. His opinion seemed to be the consensus, “I expected it to be a bunch of post-feminist rhetoric, but it ended up being very funny and entertaining at parts, while still showcasing the seriousness of certain topics. It was an emotional rollercoaster.”