On Thursday and Friday, Iowa State students and faculty will present The Vagina Monologues.

The Vagina Monologues dive into consensual and non-consensual sexual experiences. It also covers topics such as body image, genital mutilation and reproduction. This is done through personal monologues performed by women of various ages, races and sexualities.

“This is important because we are an oversexualized society to begin with, but when women want to talk about their sexuality, their body parts, they’re told not to. You don’t talk about those things in public,” Stoehr said, “letting people know, especially women, that it’s ok to talk about your body, it’s ok to talk about these issues.”

The play is based on Eve Ensler’s interviews with more than 200 women. “With humor and grace the piece celebrates women’s sexuality and strength,” the Margaret Sloss Women’s Center website states.

The Margaret Sloss Women’s Center, Student Union Board and the Society for the Advancement of Gender Equity, host The Vagina Monologues to raise awareness and funds for anti-violence groups within Ames. All of the benefits go to the Assault Care Center Extending Shelter and Support (ACCESS).

Last year, the performance donated $5,266.19 to ACCESS.

The Vagina Monologues was brought to Iowa State by Alissa Stoehr in 2001.

This year, Stoehr is not only directing, but she will also be performing for the second time since bringing it to Iowa State. This year she will be performing “Because He liked to Look At It”.

“You’re not going to love every monologue, there’s definitely some with a lot of controversy, but it’s a place to start a conversation and just to start thinking more deeply about those issues, Tara Fisher said.

The performances will be held Thursday, Feb. 15 at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., and Friday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. in the Sun Room in the Memorial Union.

Tickets are $10 for students advance and $12 day of show, and for non-students tickets are $15 advance and $17 day of show. To commemorate the 20th anniversary, they are offering a $20 bundle.

Profiles: 

Tara Fisher

Business Undergraduate Program, Academic Adviser II

Performer and co-director

Year Performing: Second year

Monologue(s) performing: The Flood, Lists, They Beat the Girl out of my Boy….. or so They Tried

Why does the Vagina Monologues matter to you?

“I’m on the board of directors for ACCESS…… I felt like it was another way for me to give back as a board member. What is so neat about the monologues is every time you hear it, you get a different perspective or you might pick up on something you’ve never noticed before. Depending on your stage of life or whose performing it, you pick up different things.” 

Megan Frisvold

Global Resource Systems, Senior

Performer

Year Performing: First year

Monologue(s) performing: My Short Skirt, Introduction

Why does the Vagina Monologues matter to you?

“By performing with the monologues, it’s activism through art. It’s a very important production and I think the message it portrays and delivers is really important for people to understand and realize. Women’s reproduction and women’s vaginas are taboo even still today. I think raising awareness about feminist issues on campus and gender violence is really important.”

Tasha Hill

Global Resource Systems, Senior

Performer and co-director

Year Performing: Third year

Monologue(s) performing: Hair

Why does the Vagina Monologues matter to you?

“I feel like I can relate. When I first started doing them, I was dealing with a lot of issues that the Vagina Monologues kind of covered, and I really didn’t know that a lot of women were also experiencing the same things. Through these different experiences that women of color experience, I feel like I can learn something from doing them and each year I learn something new from each piece.”