Vagina Monologues
A few weeks ago I received the following text message from Heidi: “Rumor has it you were involved in the Vagina Monologues. Would you be interested in doing a show for the volunteers?”
In the first place, expressing myself as being involved in the Monologues is an understatement. For the last two years, and to some degree even the year before that, the monologues governed my life from approximately December to February. I put in at least forty hour weeks to produce/organize the show at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in addition to going to school, working, etc. It was an exhausting and exhilarating time, but by far one of the greatest things I’ve ever experienced. In the end, between the two years, we raised about $20,000 dollars for the Rape Crisis Center and the Women’s Center in San Luis Obispo.
So when Heidi mentioned getting together some of the women to perform I was ecstatic. I had left so much of everything that was important to me in America, and it felt like discovering my identity again to be able to bring such an important part of my former life into the existence of my new being.
I contacted Dynia (my former director) and asked her to send me a few of the monologues. Eventually I received them from her and in addition I wrote my own entitled “The Elusive Mating Habits of the Peace Corp Volunteer.” I will unfortunately not be sharing it on my blog as it is risqué, as I’m sure my mom would quickly point out to me with one of her pointed messages that often attempts to censor words I use such as “bastard” which she feels are inappropriate to be uttered in this space. In addition, it is filled to the capacity with inside jokes that would leave the reader intensely confused making it pointless to distribute in the first place.
When we reached IST (in-service training) last week with the rest of the Education volunteers from SA14 I made an announcement with Heidi about putting on the show and if anyone was interested talk to me. They did.
There are close to 50 education volunteers and immediately 8 women came to ask if they could perform a monologue. In addition, the rest of the volunteers were very excited and kept pestering me about when we would perform.
So on Thursday we got up on a raised platform, after practicing once, in front of all the other volunteers and performed The Vagina Monologues. For whatever reason it clicked amazingly well and the transitions between the pieces as well as the deliverance of the pieces themselves was superb and moving. I would never have predicted to have such a powerful experience with the monologues in such a short time span, but I did. I sat and watched the “actresses” deliver themselves confidently, vulnerably, commitedly and I knew, knew that nothing is going to have such an effect on my life as my experiences here in Africa because everything leaves a much stronger imprint, is done with so much more conviction, that the emotions are so much more real and intense.
To Caitlin, Heidi, Michelle, Meagan, Melissa, Emily, and Ivy- Thank You
In the first place, expressing myself as being involved in the Monologues is an understatement. For the last two years, and to some degree even the year before that, the monologues governed my life from approximately December to February. I put in at least forty hour weeks to produce/organize the show at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in addition to going to school, working, etc. It was an exhausting and exhilarating time, but by far one of the greatest things I’ve ever experienced. In the end, between the two years, we raised about $20,000 dollars for the Rape Crisis Center and the Women’s Center in San Luis Obispo.
So when Heidi mentioned getting together some of the women to perform I was ecstatic. I had left so much of everything that was important to me in America, and it felt like discovering my identity again to be able to bring such an important part of my former life into the existence of my new being.
I contacted Dynia (my former director) and asked her to send me a few of the monologues. Eventually I received them from her and in addition I wrote my own entitled “The Elusive Mating Habits of the Peace Corp Volunteer.” I will unfortunately not be sharing it on my blog as it is risqué, as I’m sure my mom would quickly point out to me with one of her pointed messages that often attempts to censor words I use such as “bastard” which she feels are inappropriate to be uttered in this space. In addition, it is filled to the capacity with inside jokes that would leave the reader intensely confused making it pointless to distribute in the first place.
When we reached IST (in-service training) last week with the rest of the Education volunteers from SA14 I made an announcement with Heidi about putting on the show and if anyone was interested talk to me. They did.
There are close to 50 education volunteers and immediately 8 women came to ask if they could perform a monologue. In addition, the rest of the volunteers were very excited and kept pestering me about when we would perform.
So on Thursday we got up on a raised platform, after practicing once, in front of all the other volunteers and performed The Vagina Monologues. For whatever reason it clicked amazingly well and the transitions between the pieces as well as the deliverance of the pieces themselves was superb and moving. I would never have predicted to have such a powerful experience with the monologues in such a short time span, but I did. I sat and watched the “actresses” deliver themselves confidently, vulnerably, commitedly and I knew, knew that nothing is going to have such an effect on my life as my experiences here in Africa because everything leaves a much stronger imprint, is done with so much more conviction, that the emotions are so much more real and intense.
To Caitlin, Heidi, Michelle, Meagan, Melissa, Emily, and Ivy- Thank You
posted by Cait at 1:13 PM
1 Comments:
Wow. I wish I had been there!
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