“The Vagina Monologues,” a recent production by the Virginia Players Lab Series explored female health, sexuality, violence and empowerment. Directed by third-year College student Hank Hawkins, the production is based on a political play of the same name written by feminist playwright V, formerly known as Eve Ensler, in 1996. The performance consisted of 13 different monologues, each performed by different University students, taken from interviews V conducted with a variety of women on their experiences with relationships, sex and gender.
This production has been adapted and performed internationally, and became one of the most famous feminist productions. V wanted to reclaim the word ‘vagina’ to celebrate women’s sexuality and liberation. Hawkins — alongside Calista Nelson, assistant director, music designer and third-year Batten student, and stage manager and College student Alice Lee — brought back the production to the University after a decade. Hawkins said that they wanted to use their passion for theater to bring increased awareness to women’s issues.
“I felt that something so influential being known by none of my peers wasn't right, and I felt like the show needs to be produced again,” Hawkins said.
From 2008 to 2016, students at the University performed the play annually before the tradition abruptly and inexplicably ended. Last weekend, the University Drama Department and the Virginia Players hosted their spring Lab Series, which provides funding for students to produce their own works — be they original stage productions or pieces of their choosing. This semester, Hawkins decided to bring back the long-standing University theater tradition as his addition to the series.
“I don’t have a specific reason [why the show ended in 2016],” Hawkins said. “I think there's a loss of hope around 2016. That's not too far of a stretch to say.”
This show was Hawkins’ first time directing by himself, which he said was a difficult yet rewarding process. To make the show work, Hawkins and the rest of the crew had to put a lot of trust in the performers — who were all University students — making sure that enough time was spent honing the delivery of the monologues and ensemble parts.
“The biggest thing for me is that I know for a naturalistic directing process to work … you leave a lot of room for the actors’ choices and letting actors’ choices motivate how you move forward with the show,” Hawkins said. “And you can really only do that once you've built an environment where your actors are comfortable with one another and comfortable in the space.”
Some performances of the monologues were humorous, such as third-year College student Nicole Richardson’s “The Vagina Workshop.” In her role, she sat on a pink yoga mat while detailing her time at a masturbation workshop. Her witty performance had much of the audience chuckling.
However, other monologues were more woeful. Prominent examples included “My Vagina Was My Village” by first-year College student Caroline Brewer and “The Flood” by third-year College student Isabella Burrell.
Brewer’s performance of the monologue extensively detailed a woman’s experience being vaginally mutilated and raped by soldiers during the Bosnian war. This graphic scene elicited raucous applause once finished.
Burrell’s performance of the monologue narrated an older woman feeling ashamed of her sexuality after an embarrassing encounter in her teens, leaving her too ashamed to be intimate with anyone again. Other performances included experiences of a transgender woman, a victim of child rape and a woman watching her grandchild be born.
Hawkins said that these varied experiences — some morbid and some witty, but all deeply personal — reflect the play’s mission of bringing a voice to those who have been silenced by societal stigma.
“‘The Vagina Monologues’ is what it is because, generation after generation, groups of women have gotten together and talked about what they want out of the show, what they want out of theater that recognizes the distinct gender-based violence they face,” Hawkins said.
The production also functioned as a show to benefit a local nonprofit. Although the performance was free to all audience members, they were encouraged to donate what would have been the price of a ticket to the Sexual Assault Resource Agency in Charlottesville. This non-profit organization aims to end sexual violence through community-building and confidential support. Hawkins explained that many University students benefit from this resource, so they wanted to use the show as a way to give back.
“If I know my peers are benefiting from this resource, I am more than ready to promote this resource and make sure that we keep spreading awareness that there is this resource as well,” Hawkins said.
Hawkins explained that they believe the theater serves as an effective space to build community, which has helped it become a powerful medium through which to grow awareness of key issues. As a result, the performance of plays like “The Vagina Monologues” can act as a way for individuals to open up about their own lives and build empathy for others’ experiences.
“Theater really has the capability to start conversations that wouldn't have been had otherwise,” Hawkins said. “That's one of my favorite things about the art form, is how much it gets people together in a space, experiencing art truly together and immediately changing the way people talk to one another.”
Bringing “The Vagina Monologues” back to the University keeps important conversations surrounding women’s issues alive for years to come. After all, as emphasized throughout the production, the vagina is just a body part. Not a political tool, nor something to be ashamed of.
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