Sponsored by GVSU's Women's Center, with support from the Nokomis Foundation, the play will be performed at Fountain Street Church, 24 Fountain St. NE in Grand Rapids, on February 10 and 11; and at the Cook-DeWitt Center on GVSU's Allendale Campus on February 14. All performances will start at 7:30 p.m.
Nearly 70 students, faculty and staff members are involved in the production. Ensler's acclaimed play is a collection of powerful, engaging and, at times, provocative monologues about women who speak frankly about their bodies, childbirth, sex, rape and love.
Tickets are $16 ($8 for students) and available at the GVSU Box Office in the Performing Arts Center, 20/20 Desk in Kirkhof Center or the Pew Campus Student Services Office, 101B of the DeVos Center. They are also available with a service fee at StarTickets Plus outlets or by calling (616) 222-4000, (800) 585-3737, or visiting the Web site www.starticketsplus.com.
Last year, Grand Valley's production raised more than $14,000 for area organizations. This year, proceeds will benefit the Grand Rapids YWCA, Center for Women in Transition in Holland, GVSU's Womens Center, GVSU student organization Eyes Wide Open, and Justice to Comfort Women, the national spotlight organization. Each year, worldwide performances of "The Vagina Monologues" benefit one group of women who are experiencing violence.
Justice to Comfort Women refers to the campaign to draw attention to the survivors of military sexual slavery. The term "comfort women" dates back to imperial Japan and means young women who were forced to offer sexual services to Japanese troops between 1932-45. The number of comfort women is estimated at 50,000 to 200,000. Special benefit performances of "The Vagina Monologues" will be staged in Seoul and Tokyo this summer.
Ashley Nickels, Women's Center volunteer coordinator, said campus organizations will stage events leading up to the weekend performances and drawing attention to preventing violence against women. Other community events include a lecture by Andrea Smith, Native American activist and co-founder of INCITE Women of Color Against Violence. Smith will speak on February 7, 7 p.m., at Wealthy Theatre in Grand Rapids. Her speech is sponsored by the Grand Rapids Institute for Informational Democracy.
