Alice Walker

From February 10-12, V-Day McGill brings their 10th anniversary edition of Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues to the stage. Directed by Claire Hughes, this year’s performance features 16 cast members presenting monologues based on true stories of women throughout the world.  

The original Vagina Monologues are based on interviews with over 200 women, and touch on topics including humourous personal anecdotes, poignant tales of self-discovery, and heartbreaking stories of those who have survived sexual abuse. V-Day McGill is an organization dedicated to fighting gender-based violence, and all proceeds of the show will go towards the charities Women of Haiti, Heads & Hands, the Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal and Shield of Athena.  

This year, V-Day McGill decided to include a monologue in their production entitled “They Beat the Girl out of my Boy… or So They Tried,” based on the experience of a trans person. The monologue was published in Ensler’s book but hasn’t been performed at McGill before. Assistant director Ryan Thom says that V-Day McGill added their own dialogue to the piece in order to make it more inclusive of trans-people.  

A recurring theme in the production has been the inclusion of a Spotlight Campaign monologue that highlights a particular current issue affecting women. This year, the “Spotlight monologue” focuses on the plight of women and girls in the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti, as thousands live in high-risk situations where they face the danger of sexual assault and rape, without a supportive infrastructure to assist them. The profits of the Spotlight Campaign go towards funding three safe houses—each with an office of legal assistance for survivors of violence.

The performance also features the stories of Japanese comfort women, female survivors of the Bosnian and Kosovan concentration camps, homeless women, young girls, and even senior citizens.  

“Due to the breadth of issues covered in the performance, the topics are accessible to many people, and are conversations we could have as peers, teens, and young adults,” says producer Nadiya Gaswami.  

Interspersed with humourous monologues like “What Would Your Vagina Wear?” and “Vagina Happy Facts,” there lies the sobering harsh reality of the dangers that women face every day in monologues dealing with violence, social stigma, and alienation.

As a lead-up to this year’s production, V-Day McGill has also hosted a series of professor-led discussions on gender, sexuality, and reproductive health, covering topics like “Feminism and Pornography” and “The Contextualization of Gay Marriage.”

The Vagina Monologues is a medley of touching stories that are both easily relatable and eye opening. If you aren’t swayed by the large charitable donations that will come out of the performance, the actors and the atmosphere and meaning behind the show should certainly seal the deal.

V-Day McGill’s Vagina Monologues runs February 10-12 in Leacock 132. Tickets are $10 for students, $15 for adults.