Students don’t take violence to heart

The Student Feminist Organization is hoping to educate students about violence towards women, one vagina at a time.

“Students can expect a show that is funny, down to earth and moving,” Andrea Platt, vice president of SFO, said in an email. “Some monologues are hilarious while others are serious, but all of them paint a striking and interesting portrait of women’s experiences.”

SFO spent the last two days casting for the “Vagina Monologues”, a play written by Eve Ensler that focuses on women’s sexuality and strength through dialogues about sex, rape, love and other actions relating to the female orifice.

“I sort of felt a connection (to the performance),” Joy Lester, an English sophomore and self-described feminist who auditioned, said. “Reading the stories about these women discovering who they are, and overcoming things what inhibited them really struck a cord with me.”

Students were not the only ones who auditioned. Professors and UH staff members did so as well, Lester said.

This is the second year that the “Vagina Monologues” will be performed at UH by SFO with help from the Women’s Resource Center.

The monologues were originally performed on campus in 2009 and produced independently by then political science sophomore Blair Wallace.

Wallace’s production only ran once and did not continue in 2010, but this year SFO is being more ambitious by producing three separate performances.

Staying true to the purpose of the performances, SFO’s production will support V-Day, a worldwide movement that seeks to educate and end sexual and physical violence against women. For its part, SFO will donate a portion of all ticket sales to the Houston Rescue and Restore Coalition, a local organization that helps victims of human trafficking.

“As the Student Feminist Organization, we feel it is our privilege and duty to help such a fine organization,” Platt said.

SFO hopes that students will come out to be educated and entertained while helping a good cause.

“It is a bit more for a mature audience, but if you come in with an open mind,” Lester said, “I think you’ll enjoy it immensely.”

The “Vagina Monologues” will be performed on campus at 7 p.m. April 15, 16 and 17 in the UC Pacific Room. Pre-sale tickets will be $5 and can be bought by contacting [email protected]. Tickets will be $7 at the door.