Twenty five years ago, Eve Ensler debuted a landmark play that critics lauded as one of the most important theatrical works of its time. The Vagina Monologues are savagely funny and smart vignettes based off interviews Ensler conducted with women. The themes that emerged from the 1994 play are increasingly relevant today. They address women’s sexuality and violence against women.
After the play’s debut, Ensler harnessed the show’s momentum when she launched the nonprofit V-Day on Valentine’s Day in 1998. The organization’s mission is to end violence against women and girls. It encourages people to produce local iterations of the Vagina Monologues and other V-day productions.
Over the years, local women have hosted such shows and this year the Vagina Monologues return after a four-year hiatus. Co-producer Anne Marie Wells was a performer, fundraiser and marketer in previous shows. This time around, she is overseeing the massive group of women who are involved in the show. And they are adding local tendrils to this global issue.
