Students pleasantly surprised by ‘The Vagina Monologues’

As women of every shape and color walked onto the stage in nightgowns to speak about womanhood, women in the crowd screamed their encouragement.

As women of every shape and color walked onto the stage in nightgowns to speak about womanhood, women in the crowd screamed their encouragement. The seats in the pit were filled, while audience members lined the stairs and along the railings on all three floors of the student center.Rowan held its third annual production of “The Vagina Monologues” on Monday to raise money and awareness for women in need.  Donations went to Services Empowering Rights of Victims and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“The money we raise every year always goes to great charities, and we always make it a point to pick really great local ones so people know that the money is going to great places,” said Emily Borrelli, a senior English major who has participated all three years.

Women were interviewed for these monologues, telling their life stories of how they came to love their vaginas.  These stories, compiled from over 200 interviews, combined creativity and humor while keeping a serious and informative undertone.

“I went last year, and both times I was amazed by the words that were spoken,” said Josh Howard, a sophomore radio/TV/film major.

“It’s just like a different kind of show.  I mean it’s definitely not like anything else I’ve ever seen before.“It takes a lot of courage to get up there in lingerie, which I respect them for because I definitely wouldn’t do it even if I was a girl.”

When on stage, the participants reading the monologues explained that the outfits represent the real women in the audience.  This showed their beauty and strength.

“I feel that [the vagina monologues] accomplished some sort of comfort that women can turn to each other when they face problems, especially in a society that constantly demeans them,” said Sarah Louxz, a sophomore law and justice major who participated in the monologues for two years.

Most audience members saw a previous showing of the monologues. Larry Applleby, a 24-year-old non-Rowan student who had never seen the monologues before, came to R

owan after a friend suggested he go.“It was surprisingly funny,” Applleby said. “I didn’t look it up or read into it at all and I wanted to come here and just be surprised.  My favorite was Stephanie’s performance.”

This specific performance portrayed a woman trying to revive the word “c***” by describing the beauty of the word and how it related to the vagina.  Once she was done her speech, she had audience members chant “c***,” until it echoed throughout the student center like thunder.

“After three years it’s been a real pleasure,” said director and three-year participant Kristen Brozina, a senior English major. “I just encourage people to audition.  It’s a lot less scary than you’d think.”