Vagina Monologues. The name struck me as soon as I heard it. What could it possibly mean? A group of women giving a 2-hour presentation on vaginas and telling other women’s stories relating to their vaginas. Absolutely yes and much more. The first act “hair” set a good precedent to what the show was going to be like. The dialogue between two women discussing men’s obsession with women’s pubic hair brought out many issues relating to women succumbing to men’s idea of sexual pleasure.  Shaving pubic hair is a very emotional and terrifying experience for women because it physically removes a layer that is needed to protect their vaginas. Ultimately it should be up to the woman, not the man, to decide if she wants to remove her vaginal hair because she is in control of her own body and has the responsibility to take care of it.

The skits in which the girls embraced their sexuality was as liberating for us to watch as it was for them to perform. The skit about the two sex workers talking about their sexual encounters with women while dancing on the pole was very exciting to watch. By acting out their emotions through their pole dance, the girls created a humorous environment for girls to indulge in their sexual pleasures. And what better way to describe your sexual desires than to physically act them out in front of a live audience. Everyone was in splits by the end, and I wanted to give those two girls a standing ovation. The vagina monologues recognized women who have faced and experienced sexual violence in their lifetime, but also exposed the hypocrisy, scrutiny, and humor that goes along with looking at one’s vagina. I’m looking forward to seeing their show next year.