A poignant and hilarious tour of the last frontier, the ultimate forbidden zone, The Vagina Monologues is a celebration of female sexuality in all its complexity and mystery.
Hendersonville Theatre presents The Vagina Monologues now through February 11, 2024. Tickets are $5-32 and are available online at HVLtheatre.org or by contacting the Box Office at (828) 692-1082. Groups of 10 or more receive a 10 percent discount.
“This season, we are opening each of our regular season productions on Thursday night with a pay-what-you-choose performance,” said Victoria Lamberth, Hendersonville Theatre Artistic Director. “We hope to keep our theatre accessible and affordable for anyone, regardless of economic status, who would like to experience the joy of live theatre. The minimum ticket price on Thursday night is $5, but you can pay more if you would like. Our other show prices start at $21.75.”
The Vagina Monologues features short stories about the ever-changing dynamic of sexuality, body image, and domestic violence told by a diverse collection of female voices, including a six-year-old girl, a septuagenarian New Yorker, a vagina workshop participant, a woman who witnesses the birth of her granddaughter, a Bosnian survivor of rape, and a feminist happy to have found a man who “liked to look at it.” The play explores consensual and nonconsensual sexual experiences, female identity, genital mutilation, sex and power, vaginal reproduction, and body image.
Based on interviews with over 200 women of varying ethnicities, sexualities, and races about their views on sex, relationships, and violence against women, it presents an honest representation of gender issues and social stigma surrounding gender-based violence and sexuality in the 21st century. It’s both hysterical and heartbreaking, delving into everything from pap smears and orgasms to sexual assault and rape.
Written in 1994 by V (formerly Eve Ensler), this Obie Award-winning production discusses gender inequality and sexual violence across the globe. The Vagina Monologues has been published in over 48 languages, performed in over 140 countries, and heralded by The New York Times as one of the “best American plays” of the past 30 years and that no recent hour of theater “has had a greater impact worldwide.” V was named one of Newsweek’s “150 Women Who Changed the World” and The Guardian’s “100 Most Influential Women.”
In an interview on The Vagina Monologues website, V wrote she was “drawn to vaginas because of my own personal history, because of sexuality, because women’s empowerment is deeply connected to their sexuality.”
According to V, when asked about their vaginas, women poured out their stories because “no one’s ever allowed them to talk. Any time we open the door to a place where we have a lot of feelings or, thoughts or stories, we react enthusiastically. The story of your vagina is the story of your life, and women want to talk about their lives.”
“I was worried about vaginas. I was worried about what we think about vaginas and even more worried that we don’t think about them…So I decided to talk to women about their vaginas, to do vagina interviews, which became vagina monologues…I talked to old women, young women, married women, single women, lesbians, college professors, actors, corporate professionals, sex workers, African American women, Hispanic women, Asian American women, Native American women, Caucasian women, Jewish women. At first, women were reluctant to talk. They were a little shy. But once they got going, you couldn’t stop them.”
Performing the 14 monologues in The Vagina Monologues are CC Blackburn, Natalie Broadway, and Jennifer Russ. The Vagina Monologues is directed by Ellen Pappas, with stage management by Sara Hassinger, lighting design by Madeline Anderson, costume design by Emily Dake, sound design by Beth Norris, set dressing and prop design by Rita O’Hara, and scenic artistry by Hollie Hawk and Michelle Traylor. Board operator Rachel Crisp completes the entire female production team.
The Vagina Monologues are supported by The City of Hendersonville, the Community Foundation of Henderson County, Discover Hometown Magazine, the Punchlist Team, and WTZQ AM 1600-95.3 FM. The Vagina Monologues are rated mature due to adult themes, humor, and language.
Showtimes are Thursday, February 1 at 7:30, Fridays at 7:30, Saturday, February 3 at 7:30, Saturday, February 10 at 3 pm and Sundays at 3 pm. Running time is approximately 1 hour, 45 minutes with one 15-minute intermission.
Since 1966, Hendersonville Theatre has provided an inviting and nurturing environment for live theatre and high-quality, affordable entertainment for the residents of Hendersonville and surrounding areas. Hendersonville Theatre is wheelchair accessible, with free parking behind and in front of the theater.
Hendersonville Theatre is located at 229 South Washington Street. For tickets or more information, contact 828-692-1082 or HVLTheatre.org.
Written by Hendersonville Theatre.