“The Vagina Monologues” will be presented on Friday and Saturday, March 5 and 6 at 7 p.m. in Great Hall, and they are aimed at helping to empower women.

“‘The Vagina Monologues’ are about female empowerment and how no matter how taboo the vagina may be, it is a symbol of the empowerment we should feel as women,” sophomore Hannah Landgraf said.

Written by Eve Ensler, “The Vagina Monologues” were first performed at Simpson in 2003, came back in 2007 and have been performed every year since. The monologues include testimonials from women all over the country.

“While some of the monologues tell difficult stories, many of them are full of humor,” Jennifer Nostrala, professor of theatre arts and director of the Women’s and Gender Studies program, said. “Ultimately all of them affirm the power of women and, at the end of the evening, I think that audiences feel enlivened and connected as a community.”  

“The Vagina Monologues” are being put on to help support the V-Day Campaign, a movement that helps inspire and empower women.

“The ultimate goal is to end rape, incest and battery against women and educate audience members as well as kind of celebrate our womanhood,” Landgraf said.

Though the monologues are about women’s issues, participants say men should not be wary of attending, in fact, they may be the ones who will learn the most.

“The audience should leave with perhaps a tiny bit of understanding, especially the male audience members,” Langraf said. ” In no way can a man fully understand the inner workings of a female, but with the various monologues I would hope one could walk away with a sense of just how unique every woman is and understand some of the many atrocities women have faced regarding their sex.”

This production will give performers a new insight to the message it gives.

“I’ve always wanted to take part in a performance of ‘The Vagina Monologues’ because of the strong message it sends with regard to the empowerment of women and individuality and this semester the opportunity presented itself,” Angela Glover, visiting assistant professor of English, said.  “I am grateful to Simpson for staging this production.” 

Those that are involved with “The Vagina Monologues” encourage students and faculty to come to the production.

“Do it!” Landgraf said. “No matter your gender. Sure, it might be a little awkward or uncomfortable, but that’s the point.”