February brings Black History Month, Valentine’s Day and the third UHCL production of author Eve Ensler’s 1994 play, “The Vagina Monologues.”

This year the provocative play is co-hosted by the Office of Intercultural and International Student Services and the Office of Student Life’s Student Leadership, Involvement and Community Engagement.

“Ninety percent of all proceeds go to Bay Area Turning Point to provide services for victims of sexual violence within our community,” said Julie Smith, coordinator for IISS’s Women’s and LGBT Services.  “Ten percent of the proceeds will go to the V-Day Campaign to help build safe houses for the women and girls still suffering in the aftermath of the earthquake that devastated Haiti last January.”

The all-female cast consists of volunteers from UHCL and surrounding areas who champion V-Day’s mission “that supports anti-violence organizations throughout the world, helping them to continue and expand their core work on the ground, while drawing public attention to the larger fight to stop worldwide violence (including rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation, sex slavery) against women and girls.”

“I like how the play stands for the empowerment of women,” said Fallon Lockett, adjunct instructor for finance marketing and cast member.  “[It] brings awareness of violence towards women.”

Vicki Villarreal Leno, a second-year doctoral student of education and assistant principal at a local elementary school, returns for her second year in the play.  She was angered by the rape of two of her students this year and used her anger to strengthen her performance.  Leno learned that talking helps to deal with this issue.

“It takes away some of the shame,” Leno said.

Juanita Hall, an undergraduate psychology major, said although she had no acting experience, her daughters convinced her to try out for the part of the Angry Vagina.

“I know that I’ll do it again, it was so much fun,” Hall said.

Because the play contains strong language and frank discussion of women’s sexuality, The Cardinal Newman Society, a group associated with Roman Catholicism, has protested showing “The Vagina Monologues” on Catholic campuses.

V-Day addressed Newman Society protests in 2004 after the group protested the play’s use of the word “vagina” on Catholic college campuses, by posting this statement on their official website:
“The word ‘vagina’ is indeed used frequently in the play – to break the silence and the censorship of a word that does indeed represent women both physical and metaphysically as a feminine being. If you can’t say it, then you can’t own it. If you can’t own it, then you can’t protect it. If it’s violated, you can’t protest or complain.”

In March of 2008, The Cardinal Newman Society   posted a speech by Bishop John M. D’Arcy, Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, on its website expressing D’Arcy’s disapproval of the decision to once again allow a performance of “The Vagina Monologues” at the University of Notre Dame.

“The play is little more than a propaganda piece for the sexual revolution and secular feminism,” D’Arcy wrote.  “The human community has generally refrained from exposing and discussing the hidden parts of a woman’s body, preferring to consider them private and even sacred.  Most importantly, the sexual sin, which the play depicts in several scenes, desecrates women just as much as, if not more deeply than, sexual violence does. The play depicts, exalts, and endorses female masturbation, which is a sin.”

Here at UHCL, Smith said that she is aware of only one negative comment on campus where someone thought the play was inappropriate. She also received two negative comments regarding the UHCL logo for the play, which uses a woman’s legs clad in shorts and fishnet stockings with her feet in the air and turned upside-down to form the letter “V.”

Smith reports that last year’s UHCL production of the play raised approximately $5,000 for the local women’s shelter Bay Area Turning Point, Inc., the local beneficiary of the profits for the past two years.

Bay Area Turning Point assists thousands of people every year who require help dealing with domestic violence, sexual assault, elder abuse, child abuse, rape and incest.

“Any type of awareness thing that we can do to get people involved, where they can go, see and be a part of, that’s always a big help,” said Jackie Keys, executive and community relations manager for Bay Area Turning Point. “The financial support from the play is awesome, and it goes directly into the shelter.”

Keys was also excited to say that this year’s cast made an effort to volunteer at the shelter.

The non-profit organization provides services for almost 8,000 people a year.

“We have shelter programs, but we also see non-residential clients that come in that may not need shelter right now, but they still need our services,” Keys said.  “Any time we get a call from a police station or hospital we send someone out to sit with them, help them get through the process, explain what is going on to them, especially at the hospital, just to be there with them.”

Keys also mentioned that the agency works closely with the UHCL police.

“They are very familiar with us, and know our services, and know when we can collaborate,” Keys said.

People who want to volunteer at Bay Area Turning Point must first complete an orientation process that includes a criminal background check.   Keys stated that the organization used approximately 200,000 volunteers last year in a wide range of service.

The UHCL production of “The Vagina Monologues” will take place Feb. 25 at 8 p.m. in the Bayou Theater.  Tickets can be purchased in the IISS office from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and from 8 a.m. to noon on Friday.  Prices are $10 for UHCL students, staff, faculty and seniors and  $12 for all community members.  IISS can only accept cash or checks made out to UHCL.