The Vagina Monologues

The Vagina Monologues is an episodic play written by Eve Ensler. It premiered Off-Broadway in 1996 and won an Obie Award. She originally starred in it, playing all the various women who share their views about their vaginas with the audience; when she left the play it was recast with three celebrity monologists. The production has been staged internationally, and a television version featuring Ensler was produced by cable TV channel HBO.

V-Day

The Vagina Monologues are the cornerstone of the V-Day movement, whose participants stage benefit performances of the show worldwide each Valentine's Day. The "V" in V-Day stands for Valentine, Vagina and Violence, linking love and respect for women to ending violence against women and girls. The proceeds from these performances go to programs that assist victims of domestic violence.

Related Topics:
Cornerstone - V-Day - Valentine's Day - Violence - Women - Victims - Domestic violence

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V-Day has raised (and donated) over $25 million dollars and exists in 76 different countries. The organization has worked directly with women in regions like Cairo, Kenya and the Pine Ridge Reservation to build safe houses and support political resistance.

Related Topics:
Cairo - Kenya - Pine Ridge Reservation

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Camille Paglia has criticized V-Day as "turning Valentine's Day, the one holiday celebrating romantic harmony between the sexes, into a grisly memento mori of violence against women". http://dir.salon.com/people/col/pagl/2001/02/28/bush/index.html?pn=3

Related Topics:
Camille Paglia - Memento mori

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