Students react to Saint Mary's "Monologues" performance
By EMILY FORD
News Writer
A mass of people crowded into the Regina North Lounge on the Saint Mary's campus Monday evening to watch the highly anticipated performance of "The Vagina Monologues."
Students attended the performance for a wide variety of reasons. And while most felt "The Vagina Monologues" did a solid job presenting various women's issues, others were offended by the content.
Sophomore Kate Hartman wanted to witness first-hand the source of such great debate.
"I'm here to be a part of the controversy because there's been so much hype over the past two weeks," Hartman said. "If they wanted to advise us against seeing it, they've had the adverse affect by promoting it even further and sparking my interest."
Interest in the informal publicity surrounding the performance was a motive for the attendance of sophomore Andrea DeLeon. She was also interested in how it explored feminist issues.
"I want to know what all the hype's about," DeLeon said. "I know it's going to have to do with a lot of female issues and things like that … I seriously think it needs to be touched on because it's about female views and we're going to have to deal with it."
Audience members expressed interest not only in the issues the cast presented but how it was presented. Freshman Natalie Losurdo expected a light-hearted approach to otherwise extremely serious issues.
"I heard that it's very funny," Losurdo said. "They cover issues such as homosexuality, abortion, and date rape in a funny manner and I'm excited to see it."
A row of women began drumming to signal the audience when the show was about to start. The performance began with a waiver denying any affiliation with Saint Mary's College or any other special interest groups. The women proceed with a song, praising the female gender and the "Magic Power Woman."
A group of students read the monologues, covering the various topics pertaining to the vagina. It first touched on topics that prompted hearty laughter, namely the various names of vaginas and the answers to the question: "If a vagina could talk."
But the show was serious when it presented morbid accounts of female genital mutilation and rape. The show concluded with an enactment of one of the main purposes of the vagina: birth. Its final scene reiterated once more the show's theme of the beauty and power of the vagina.
The performance produced two general results. It left the audience wanting more or wishing they'd seen less. Many were pleasantly surprised at its approach to often taboo issues. Junior Adrienne DeGraff was one student who was greatly impressed with the cast's story telling.
"I had never seen `The Vagina Monologues' before and I guess I was expecting something militant and I was surprised," DeGraff said. "It was poignant, it was comedic. I actually really like the comedic portion because it addressed the issues without being overbearing."
The show not only appealed to those who possess the anatomy the monologues are centered around, but to men as well. Lee Gloster enjoyed the experience.
"I like it very much. I was not offended at all," Gloster said. "I had no idea it was going to be as funny as it was."
But not everyone shared such positive accolades. Freshman Grace Arredondo understood the College's hesitation at allowing the performance to take place.
"I found it very offensive," Arredondo said. "I think that a woman's body and a man's body and any part of nature, for that matter, is beautiful because we are creations of God. No part of our bodies and of nature should be expressed through derogatory statements, whether or not it's jokingly."
Fellow freshman Kamille Peter shared this attitude. She had hoped more would have joined her in her sentiment.
"I thought it was classless. I thought it was vulgar," Peter said. "I wish I had known more about it because if I did I would not have gone. And I was not the only person who walked out ten minutes into it. I wish that more people would have left."
All News Stories for Tuesday, February 26, 2002
