The “V” word isn’t all that bad

I had the pleasure of being able to attend the Vagina Monologues which was organized by JMU students. I’m going to be honest, when My friend who was in it invited me to come see it I had no clue what I was getting myself into. From an audience perspective I genuinely enjoyed the piece as it included some pieces of women exploring their sexuality to women who just really didn’t know what went on… down there. I recommend that if JMU students host something like this that everyone should go see it. I left feeling empowered and less alone. Being a woman is already hard, so to know that others have gone through some of the same experiences has made me feel comfortable with having a “V”. I interviewed my friend who was a part of the piece to give a little bit more insight on those who are still confused on what The Vagina Monologues are. 

Without further ado I present to you Marisa Turner  

My name is Marisa Turner and I am a senior theatre major with a concentration in performance. I have always had a passion for beautiful and truthful storytelling, and I am always amazed by how theatre has the ability to move so many people of all walks of life. 

The Vagina Monologues by “V” is a piece of radical theatre that explores women’s sexuality in every way possible. It is composed from interviews of women of all ages and backgrounds, and it aims to destigmatize the anatomy and pleasure of women. This piece was student organized and student led, and this just goes to show that JMU students have the ability to create and present projects that are meaningful and powerful to them. 

Our main goal was to present this piece to audiences to remind them of the power women hold within themselves, and to emphasize that society still has a long way to go when it comes to accepting and celebrating female sexuality. We often assume that we are incredibly progessive these days, and while this may be true, presenting this piece today highlights the fact that there is still much work to be done to bring awareness to these topics. 

I hope anyone who reads this feels a little bit more empowered to be confident in your “V” because it truly is amazing and not something you should be ashamed of.