“V” isn’t just for Valentine’s Day

With so many hearts warming up to their loved ones and so many pockets being emptied in the name of love, it came as good news that the letter “V” wasn’t just for Valentine’s Day last February. As part of V-day, a global movement using creative events to end violence against women and girls, a benefit production of Eve Ensler’s award winning play, “The Vagina Monologues” was performed at Frostburg State University’s Pealer Recital Hall on February 16^th and 17^th. For the price of $12 for the general public and $6 for students, attendees were able to join in on a night of entertainment, the Clothesline Project in which participants were able to make their own t-shirts as a visual representation of violence against women, and a scarf sale in which proceeds were used to benefit and raise awareness for the cause.  As it turned out, the cause was a successful one, with many faces, familiar and new showing up for the production. Considering the play is made up of several monologues, Esteban Trochez, a freshman here at Frostburg State Univeristy praised the production for “how varied it was with all of the different ages, races, and backgrounds covered in the play.” Esteban states that he especially enjoyed the monologue featuring a very enthusiastic woman, played by junior Suzanne Carroll, screaming “Cunt!” Another Frostburg student, Trisha McCullen, enjoyed the play’s humorous monologues, specifically one concerned with moaning, stating,“I laughed so hard, I cried.” However, the most notable aspect of the event was not the play itself, but the cause behind the play. V-day was created by Eve Ensler herself to benefit female victims of violence and sexual abuse.  As part of www.vday.org’s mission statement V-Day's vision is "a world where women live safely and freely. V-Day demands that rape, incest, battery, genital mutilation and sexual slavery end immediately and believes that women should spend their lives creating and thriving rather than surviving or recovering from terrible atrocities.” As Kyra-Marie Moir, a long-time supporter of V-day and fan of “The Vagina Monologues” explains, “The ‘Vagina Monologues’ is such a great show! I have gone plenty of times and each time I have walked away with something new. V-day makes a great case for viewers to commit themselves to end violence against women and strive for social justice internationally, and it doesn’t hurt that it’s just good entertainment. Men and women alike will walk away with a sense of shared experience from the play, scarf sale, or Clothesline Project. Thanks to FSU for showcasing a great production and cause!” With this year’s earnings going to go to the Family Crises Resource Center and the Dove Center, this particular February event at Frostburg State University was a success in all aspects. From an entertaining production ranging from humor to more serious undertones, to a great cause behind the event, it was good news last February knowing that V-day wasn’t just for Valentine’s Day.