Returning for its second showing, The Vagina Monologues were again a hit with the University of New Haven student and non-student

body last Wednesday night. Brought to the campus by the Victimology club and Jessica Champagne, a rape crisis advocate on campus, the play represents a series of interviews brought together to be performed by fellow students and professors in a celebration of V-Day.

The Vagina Monologues began as a one-woman show, with a series of character-driven pieces, almost like poetry, each revealing a different woman’s experience with topics such as: sex, love, tenderness, embarrassment, cruelty, pain, and pleasure.

As the show increased in popularity, it began to be performed by an ensemble of actresses. Politically active theaters and college campuses began producing the Monologues, all of which helped to launch a global movement known as V-Day. V-Day is a global initiative to address violence against women and girls.

Though the topics vary and some are controversial, the play gives reality and feeling to topics not typically discussed or addressed. Many of those in attendance reported feeling “strength, tears, and even power from the play and what its cast of characters brings to each piece.” Each act of the play was done with the diction and emphasis of a professional cast. Director and producer Jessica Champagne did an amazing job with a limited timeframe and should be proud of the show’s success.

The audience at the end of the show stood in applause and praised the cast for a wonderfully evocative performance. The proceeds of the show go towards the Rape Crisis Center in Milford, CT, and many students were happy to not only buy tickets but donate to a great cause. The estimated amount raised was over $600!

Director Jessica Champagne in an interview stated that she is “proud of the cast who had worked so hard for an amazing performance and is grateful for their dedication to the play and the cause it represents.”