On Feb. 14 and 15, the annual “Vagina Monologues” was performed at Alumni Hall, following a year-long break. The return of the performance brought back just as strong of an audience support as previous years.
At the end of the show, emotions ran high as each cast member gave powerful performances and some cast members even shared personal experiences that brought the house down with deafening applause.
The “Vagina Monologues” is a play created by Eve Ensler. She conducted 200 interviews with different women across many spectrums, including black women, caucasian women, transgender women, and many more. During those interviews, they talked about their sexuality and loving—or not loving—their bodies. In the end, Ensler collected all of her data and transformed that into what is now known as the “Vagina Monologues.”
Flannery Bendel-Simso, a junior majoring in theatre arts, was this year’s director of the show. She shared what the “Monologues” meant to her and the experience of directing her first show.
She emphasized how important the “Monologues” are to her and how important they should be to McDaniel as well. With this being her first instance of directing a show, Bendel–Simso was very nervous about producing a great show. Regardless of that nerve-wracking feeling, she believes that this show is essential to the students and faculty here at McDaniel.
“This show is a platform for gender and sexuality that some do not have anywhere else,” she stated.
The “Vagina Monologues” is also very important to Bendel-Simso, as this show breaks the silence on crucial issues that have affected several people that she knows personally.
To be able to share something that has been weighing you down for a long time is a freeing experience, and that is what the “Monologues” are, she said.
All proceeds from the show went to the Rape Crisis Intervention Service of Carroll County.
