The Vagina Monologues are especially exciting for me because it’s an intersection of feminism and theatre (two of my very favorite things). That being said, I have to confess that while I look forward to the Vagina Monologues every year at HWS, my experience is always colored with some disappointment. Why? Well, from my perspective, the Vagina Monologues is not just a political act, it’s art for social change; it’s THEATER. And I am therefore a little shocked every year that the performers have not memorized their lines. I can’t imagine a single theatrical performance (that charges spectators for entry) where this practice would be acceptable.
Now I don’t want to imply that I don’t appreciate the HWS Vagina Monologues for all that they are. The money from the tickets (and all of the fabulous merchandise) goes to the V-Day spotlight campaign to stop violence against women as well as to Safe Harbors (the Finger Lakes rape and abuse crisis center). The fact that the performance gets pulled together at all year after year is a tremendous testament to the William Smith Women’s Collective, and there’s no doubt that this campus is in more need than most of exposure to this kind of social intervention. But I can’t get past the fact that all of the actors read their lines from crumpled sheets of paper! That’s not good theater, and in my mind, it really takes away from the message of the show, which can only be imparted fully by an actor’s complete and honest connection with the audience. People reading other women’s stories from paper does not hold the audience responsible. It does not engage them. It does not force them to be involved.
Arguably the most important act of the Vagina Monologues is to force the audience to engage with vaginas! Whether that’s through thinking about vaginas in general, to becoming tangibly more aware of their own, to shouting “CUNT!” at the top of their lungs (joyfully and with conviction). The point is to give vaginas a voice. In short, the Vagina Monologues read from paper just feels to me like going through the motions. I didn’t force me to really listen to vaginas.