Wake Forest and Salem College to host performances of ‘The Vagina Monologues’

The Feb. 7 and 8 performances will take place at 8 p.m. at Wake Forest in the Ring Theatre inside Scales Fine Arts Center. The Feb. 14 and 15 shows will be held at 8 p.m. in the Drama Workshop in the Salem College Fine Arts Center.

The Winston-Salem performances are part of the international V-Day 2002 College Campaign in which 800 colleges and universities will raise money for nonprofit groups that work to end violence against women in their local area.

Since 1998, V-Day celebrations have been held around the world featuring readings of the show, workshops and service projects. A 2001 performance on Broadway featured 70 female celebrities.

V-Day events have raised more than $4 million for worldwide efforts to stop violence against women including genital mutilation and domestic abuse. Proceeds from the local shows will go to the Battered Women’s Shelter of Winston-Salem and the domestic violence hotline sponsored by Family Services of the Triad. A percentage also will go to the national V-Day Foundation’s fund for Afghan women.

Winston-Salem V-Day 2002 sponsors are the Wake Forest Women’s Initiative for Support and Empowerment (WISE) and Salem College Pierrettes. Producers are Lilly Massa, a Wake Forest senior, and Jennie Lewis, a Salem College senior.

Acclaimed American writer Eve Ensler wrote “The Vagina Monologues” after interviewing hundreds of diverse women about their life experiences. She strung together quotes from those interviews to form a script of monologues.

“It’s about bringing women together,” Massa said. “Although it touches on a lot of really painful issues, it also brings to light the shared experience of being a woman that transcends cultural boundaries, class lines and sexual orientation.”

Tickets for Winston-Salem performances of “The Vagina Monologues” are now on sale through the Salem College Pierrettes office at 336-917-5493. They cost $14 for adults and $12 for students.

Advance tickets are also available Jan. 24 and Jan. 25 for $10. They will be on sale at Wake Forest in Benson University Center from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and at Salem College’s Refractory from noon until 1 p.m.

“It’s a very emotional performance whether you’re laughing or crying,” Massa said. “It’s a very interactive experience. It’s not passive— everyone will come out with a new sense of understanding for these issues that affect all of us.”

For more information, visit www.geocities.com/vdaywinstonsalem or www.vday.org.