A major issue in our society today is the issue of sexuality.
Many gay and lesbian people are forced to stand down to ignorance, hatred, and violence for being themselves.
The “Vagina Monologues” is a play written by Eve Ensler to stand up for lesbian women all over the world. It’s made up of many different monologues that are read and acted out by numerous women. This is the fourth time the event has been held at FGCU.
“It really is to spread awareness of violence against women, and it’s really an issue.
The reason we want to shed light on the subject is because women, especially gay women, have higher numbers in that group… so we want it to stop,” said Jodi Hahn, the play’s director.
Hahn got involved with the Vagina Monologues when a group of students at FGCU asked for her help in getting the ball rolling. It is also the foundation of the worldwide movement known called V-Day, which targets violence against women. Hahn attended the art school at Purchase College in New York and has now moved down to Florida to get involved in the one thing she has a strong passion for, stopping violence against lesbian women.
“The reason I started doing this was when I moved down from New York and I didn’t feel like there was anything to do for lesbian women and I wanted to equal it out,” Hahn said.
She is also the owner and operator for a business called Hen House Entertainment, which is an entertainment business that includes burlesque dancers and drag kings. While the controversial issue of lesbian violence may not seem to get much attention, the “Vagina Monologues” aims to make a change.
“We do it for every person that has ever felt afraid to just be alive. It’s beyond just women and beyond just gay people. It’s a human thing, and we can all relate to it,” Hahn said.
Along with the director, the cast and crew members are just as essential in turning the Vagina Monologues into a masterpiece.
Morgan Souza, a graduate student majoring in English, said the play is encouraging to women. “The purpose of this play is to empower and inspire women everywhere and to bring a stop to women violence,” Souza said.
The major role Souza embodies is one of the many controversial topics. The first half of the play is called “The Little Coochie Snorcher That Could.”
“My favorite part about the whole production is the sentiment behind the monologues,” Souza said. “In our society, people don’t like to say the word vagina. Just spreading the word and having people sit down and listen and experience what real women have gone through is extremely vital.”
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit HenHouseEntertainment.com. The play takes place on Saturday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. at the Rush Auditorium at Edison State College.