Last Thursday my roommate and I decided to head over to Amherst College to watch the Vagina Monologues. Neither of us had been able to make it to the MHC version, and neither of us had seen it before, so I guess that would make us Vagina Monologue Virgins. We felt like this was something we needed to rectify, especially since we go to one of the top women’s colleges in the country. Seeing the Vagina Monologues seems to be one of the traditions or rites of passage unique to Mount Holyoke, my roommate and I agreed. We also agreed that seeing the Vagina Monologues at a co-ed school was better than not seeing them at all. I reserved two tickets and we hopped on the PVTA.
The monologues were being performed in Converse Hall in the Cole Assembly room, more appropriately know as the Red Room. The carpet was red, the seats were black and the walls were white. I’m not sure if it was a conscious choice to have actresses’ costumes match the interior décor of the room, but they all wore black outfits with red accessories.
This year it was decided to include student-written monologues in the show along with some of Eve Ensler’s original monologues. There were 15 student monologues, which covered rape and abuse, bisexuality, unwelcome advances, feminine products, love and relationships, the mutilation of Barbie dolls, periods, and the g-spot. All were excellent and I could hardly tell which were student written and which weren’t.
I was surprised at how many men attended the show. Almost 40% of the audience was men, and I had been expecting close to zero. I also expected the monologues to be angrier and man hating, which they weren’t, really, and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the show. The monologues resonated a sort of truth about women’s experiences, which were easy for me to relate to, like the monologue about different women’s experiences having their first period.
My roommate and I learned a lot of things that night. Like the fact that the clitoris has 8000 nerve fibers in it—twice as many as the penis! As was said in one monologue “Who needs a handgun when you have a semi-automatic”. Some of my favorite monologues include “My angry vagina”, a hilarious rant about tampons and tools used by ob/gyns. Another, titled “Blood”, was about denouncing the embarrassment and secrecy surrounding periods and was told in a campy horror story sort of way. It ended with the actress saying ominously, “Now little boys everywhere will know the truth. Their mothers bleed. Their aunts bleed. That nice lady down the street…she bleeds!” I can only imagine how horrified the little boy I babysit would be if he found out that I bleed once a month. In my mind the scene is quite comical.
And of course, there was the unforgettable orgasm scene from a piece called “the woman who loved to make vaginas happy”. It was tailored to suit Amherst College, featuring the Williams moan, “moo”, and the five-college moan, “Gotta catch the bus, gotta catch the bus…ooooh, I caught the bus!”
I laughed a lot, I almost cried, I was uncomfortable at times, but I left the show feeling exhilarated. I’d like to see the Vagina Monologues again next year, but maybe on my own campus.
Related posts:
- The offensive side of The Vagina Monologues
- V-Day Campaign Includes Vagina Monologues
- Woman’s sense of self destroyed in Vagina Monologues
- Lady Parts and the Arts : The Vagina Monologues
- Quiet! The vaginas are talking!
