Ever heard if the penis game? You know, the one where two or more people take turns yelling “penis” getting progressively louder each time. It normally produces giggles but isn’t so shameful folks won’t do it in public. Ever heard of the vagina game? Yeah, I haven’t either. “For a woman to even speak about her vagina, let alone sexually, even today is still considered un-ladylike and taboo. It is important to say these stories out loud for that purpose,” says Brynn Holland. Brynn is the director of a local production of The Vagina Monologues, a play that challenges the shaming of women’s sexuality by telling real women’s stories about their vaginas. Orignally collected by Eve Ensler, The Vag Mos have now become a global phenomenon. This Saturday, Sunday, and Tuesday, you can celebrate vag-power by attending The Vagina Monologues at The Knitting Factory.
The performance is put on by BABE (the Brooklyn All Bush Ensemble), which formed last year around the first local production of The Vag Mos when the women involved decided they didn’t want to limit their interactions to a single event. According to Brynn Holland, local BABE member and director of this year’s Vag Mos, “BABE is an all women’s performance and consciousness-raising collective based in Bushwick made up of artists, writers, dancers, activists, musicians, comedians, filmmakers, creators, vagina motherfuckers, etc.” It operates, as do all Vag Mo performances, within the larger V-Day program, a global movement to stop violence against women.
This year’s tickets are on a sliding scale starting at $20, but after the venue is paid for 100% of proceeds go to The Center for Anti-Violence Education in Brooklyn, so Brynn encourages you to give as much as you can! The Center works to break cycles of violence through education, physical empowerment, and leadership development.” The cast is comprised of all local New Yorkers from four of the five boroughs and ranges from seasoned actors to women appearing on stage from the first time.
Feeling wearying or intimidated by the promise of so much vag? Whether you have a vagina or not, the show is told is such a diverse array of voices, any human being should find something to relate to and hopefully have their perspecitives of female sexuality expanded as well. Says Brynn, “The show, while called the Vagina Monologues, is about so much more. It is about the lives, the struggles, the joys, the hopes, and dreams of many women across the world. If you know someone who has a vagina, have ever seen one, have one yourself, came out of one, etc you will be able to relate to parts of the show.” Furthermore, “if anything makes you uncomfortable, it’s probably good for you to hear! Come, join us!”
The Vagina Monolgues is showing this Saturday and Sunday, April 5th and 6th, at 2pm, and Tuesday, April 8th at 7:30. The shows take place at The Knitting Factory located at 361 Metropolitan Ave in Williamsburg. Tickets are on a sliding scale from $20-$100. You can avoid service fees by purchasing your ticket directly from the box office.