Michael Diambri, A&E Writer
Most people don’t go around talking about vaginas.
The Women’s Center at Pacific Lutheran University is putting on a production that does just that — “The Vagina Monologues” will be on stage early February.
Auditions were held Nov. 11 and 12 in the Anderson University Center.
Junior Courtney Gould, a director of “The Vagina Monologues,” estimated that approximately 30 female-identified students auditioned.
“We hope the cast can really tap into their characters, because they are based on the experiences of real women,” Gould said.
The monologues performed are based on interviews conducted by the show’s creator Eve Ensler, who drafted the play in 1996.
Whether talking about vaginas or not, public speaking or auditioning for a play can be nerve-wracking. However, Gould said directors were impressed by many of the young women who auditioned.
Senior Aubrey Frimoth was one of the female students who auditioned for the show Nov. 11.
“I auditioned for it because I’ve seen ‘The Vagina Monologues’ in the past years and was inspired,” Frimoth said. “I had never heard of it until my first-year — it really made me think. After I saw the show, I knew I wanted to be a part of it.”
“The Vagina Monologues” is an episodic play about a subject that has often been seen as taboo by modern society.
The subject of the play is in the title itself: the vagina.
“At a liberal arts college [like PLU], there is a lot of empowerment that can happen,” Frimoth said. “‘The Vagina Monologues’ gives students, faculty and staff a place to express that and learn about it. It invokes thought and makes the word less scary.”
The show’s directors hope “The Vagina Monologues” will bring about this empowerment.
“Women don’t talk about their vaginas or their sexuality — it’s very internal,” Gould said. “It’s a good experience for women [to see the show], because it opens up the topic so that women can feeling comfortable talking about their experiences.”
Showings will go off-campus, as well: one showing will take place at the Washington Correctional Center for Women in Purdy, Wash.
“They really love it [at the correctional center],” Gould said. “They become very empowered by our performance.”
Although many people believe “The Vagina Monologues” promotes female liberty, the monologues have come under scrutiny from many critics, including some feminist groups.
The monologues have become especially unpopular with socially conservative groups such as the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property.
However, PLU’s production hopes to be liberating and educational for all people.
“It should empower everyone,” Gould said.
