News Article

Vagina Monologues come to Stephenville


2/16/2006 10:22:02 AM


Eva Moore, left, Executive Director of the Stephenville Theatre Festival, is thrilled to bring The Vagina Monologues to Stephenville, in aid of the Bay St. George Women’s Centre. Lorraine Sheehan, right, Director of the shelter, says the message of the show is as important as the monies it will generate.


The V-day celebration (to end violence against women and girls) is centered around the production of the stage play The Vagina Monologues. The show will be staged at the LA Bown Building at CNA’s Bay St. George campus on Sunday, February 19. Here, cast members rehearse the show on the LA Bown stage. From left back, Linda Conway, Michelle Ploughman-Chubb, Karen Lockyer, and Julia Moore. Front left, Eden Alexander, Allanah Pinhorn and Tanya Alexander.

Stephenville Theatre Festival and College of the North Atlantic are helping Stephenville celebrate V-Day with a production of The Vagina Monologues on February 19.

V-Day, a global movement to stop violence toward women, was founded by Eve Ensler – Obie Award-winning playwright of The Vagina Monologues. In fact, V-Day was inspired by the play. Based on interviews with over 200 women about their memories and experiences of sexuality, The Vagina Monologues “gives voice to women's deepest fantasies and fears,” says the website, “guaranteeing that no one who reads it will ever look at a woman's body, or think of sex, in quite the same way again. It is witty and irreverent, compassionate and wise.

"At first women were reluctant to talk," says Ensler on her site. "They were a little shy. But once they got going, you couldn't stop them."

The book and ensuing play have both won numerous awards and have been embraced throughout the world.

Eva Moore, Executive Director for the Stephenville Theatre Festival, directed the play in 2002. She says the play is a project she feels strongly about.

“This is a world-wide campaign to bring light to the existence of so many women in so many countries whose bodies and minds have been torn apart by violence,” says Moore.

“It’s important for us to be aware of and sensitive to the plight of these women – not just those in war torn and developing countries such as Africa and India, but in our own society…in our own towns.”

This production – taking place at LA Bown building of College of the North Atlantic’s Bay St. George campus – is the college campaign version of the script. Some 27 countries with colleges and universities have presented their productions to raise awareness about violence issues and money for local organizations working to end violence against women and girls. It is a condition of producing the play that proceeds be shared with organizations fighting violence against women. Proceeds from the February 19th show in Stephenville will go to the Bay St. George Women’s Shelter.

Lorraine Sheehan is director for the shelter and heads up the Bay St. George Status of Women’s Council. She is thrilled that the Stephenville Theatre Festival is giving proceeds from the show to the shelter.

“We are honoured to be affiliated with STF and this show – it recognizes the situation many women find themselves in – many of them with no support or help except for their local shelter.”

One local woman (who wishes to remain anonymous) tells of her mother’s experience.

“My mom was in an abusive relationship for almost 30 years and finally had the courage to leave, thanks to the help of the shelter,” she says.

The abused woman now lives safely in another town and is remarried.

“I feel that if it weren’t for the women’s shelter in Stephenville, my mom likely wouldn’t be alive today.”

The monologues cover an array of experiences by women from every walk of life. Many are humourous, some are disturbing; they all carry a message.

“In Halifax we sold out an eleven hundred seat auditorium and had to open our dress rehearsal for the overflow” says Moore. “The atmosphere was electric, supportive and fun!”

That production was sponsored by The Body Shop and raised $35,000 for seven women’s charities. Moore says this show in Stephenville will be smaller in scale, but she expects people will come out in aid of the women’s shelter, to support the fight against violence, and just from plain curiosity.

“I guarantee that most people who see the show will be telling their friends they shouldn’t have missed it! It’s impossible not to be moved.”

The show takes place at College of the North Atlantic’s LA Bown building at 7 p.m. on Sunday, February 19. For more information, call the STF office at 643-4982 or for tickets visit Debbie’s Video on Main Street.

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