Vagina Monologues

If your vagina got dressed up what would it wear?

This is a question asked to hundreds of women interviewed around the world for Eve Ensler’s play, The Vagina Monologues, which has been preformed here at Shepherd for a number of years. It promotes V-Day, a global activist movement dedicated to ending violence against women and girls and increase awareness, raise money, and revitalize the spirit of anti-violence organizations.

Shepherd University alumni, Ashley Hoffman, served as the director this year putting together a cast of talented, outgoing, and spirited women, which made the performance even more enjoyable.

The play consisted of 15 different monologues that touched base on a variety of topics dealing with aspects of the feminine experience, touching on matters such as sex, love, rape, menstruation, female genital mutilation, masturbation, birth, and orgasms.

Those monologues which stuck out the most and seemed to be the favorites among audience members were the performance by Holly Hilmer “My Angry Vagina,” which was an entertaining and truthful look into some not so pleasant aspects of being a women.

As well as the more serious monologue, “My Vagina Was A Village” in which Eliza Taft gave a moving performance dedicated to women in refugee camps facing rape and abuse.

And of course what may have been the most notable was “The Woman Who Loved to Make Vaginas Happy” performed by the ever hilarious, Katy Cousino who, in my opinion, gave what was the most enjoyable and free spirited monologue that had the audience erupting with laughter.

The set design even had some help from Shepherd alumni, Hannah Moghbel, who’s five detailed paintings of vaginas from her ‘Origin” series served as the backdrop for the performance.

All of this years proceeds went to The Shenandoah Women’s Center, which is a domestic violence, sexual assault crisis, treatment and prevention program that has been serving individuals in the Eastern Panhandle for over 30 years.