What are the Vagina Monolgues?

Since The Vagina Monologues publication in 1998, a small revolution has taken place across the country, leading to a slow leak into the mainstream. The V-Day Initiative, a movement to end violence toward women, grew from the book and now college groups perform the play on Valentine’s Day each year to standing-room-only crowds, raising awareness and funds for domestic violence programs. The first V-Days happened in New York, London and Los Angeles. In these performances, Ensler was joined by women such as Cate Blanchett, Glenn Close, Winona Ryder, Whoopi Goldberg, Marisa Tomei, Rosie Perez, Lily Tomlin, Calista Flockhart and others. In October, Donna Hanover, New York City’s first lady, participated.

Ensler wrote the play because she heard women talking about their vaginas and what they said surprised her. What she found out was that women were really “hungry” to talk about them. “They had no context or place where they could do that. And that by talking about them, they made themselves more real, more present and more legitimate,” she says on the phone from New York.“I have no idea what people are talking about when they say (it’s a bad word). It’s like saying, ‘Do you want to breathe?’ Well, no I’m not really fond of air.”Do men ever approach her after shows saying that they are embarrassed or ashamed of their parts?“No. No man has ever said that to me,” she says between near-fits of laughter. “Men have come up and said they were really moved and taken and they learned something, but no man has ever said they were embarrassed or ashamed of it before. In the years that I’ve done it, that has never occurred.

In The Vagina Monologues, Ensler hopes to foster real change. Language is a good start — and she hammers it into the audience. You’ll find the v-word 128 times within the play’s 106 pages, though Ensler doesn’t even like the term all that much. With the monologues, Ensler’s use of language is more of an examination of what the word is and why people are afraid to say it.

Jonelle in the Vagina Monologues

Here is what Kimberly Salter, Co- Chairman of V- Day had to say about Jonelle:

"Jonelle was one of 3 performers for the Vagina Monologues production in Laguna Beach sponsored by the Woman's Club of Laguna Beach - this was the 2nd year she did the performance for us - gratis - it is a fundraiser to raise $$ and awareness about violence against women. She is awesome - which I am sure you already know - she is a professional, extremely talented woman, who brings people out of their seats at the performances."
- Kim Salter