V-Day at EST/LA

Last weekend EST/LA had a 3-day run of The Vagina Monologues featuring a stellar celebrity cast of more than 60 women.

Here’s more information about The Vagina Monologues from V-Day Atwater.  (Also visit the official V-Day website here.)

What is V-Day, you might ask?

“V-Day is a global activist movement to end violence against women and girls that raises funds and awareness through benefit productions of Playwright/Founder Eve Ensler’s award winning play The Vagina Monologues and other artistic works.In 2010, over 5400 V-Day benefit events took place produced by volunteer activists in the U.S. and around the world, educating millions of people about the reality of violence against women and girls.  To date, the V-Day movement has raised over $75 million and educated millions about the issue of violence against women and the efforts to end it, crafted international educational, media and PSA campaigns, launched the Karama program in the Middle East, reopened shelters, and funded over 12,000 community-based anti-violence programs and safe houses in Democratic Republic Of Congo, Haiti, Kenya, South Dakota, Egypt and Iraq. In 2001, V-Day was named one of Worth Magazine’s “100 Best Charities,” in 2006 one of Marie Claire Magazine’s Top Ten Charities, and in 2010 was named as one of the Top-Rated organizations on GreatNonprofits. In twelve years, the V-Day movement has reached over 300 million people.”

What is a V-Day Campaign?

“A V-Day Campaign is a catalyst for mobilizing women and men to heighten awareness about violence against women and girls.  By creating this global community, V-Day strives to empower women to find their collective voices and demand an end to the violence that affects one in three women in the U.S and around the world. “

I’ve always wondered what The Vagina Monologues was about.   A good friend of  mine, Niki, had encouraged me to go, and another close friend had done this show a couple of times  in college, and also highly recommended that I go as well.  I went on closing night because I knew one of the performers.  It’s always fun to go and cheer on someone you know!

The performers on this night included:
Jennifer Runyon Corman, Pamela Des Barres, Bobbie Brown, Marissa Drammassi, Daisy Eagan, Caitlin Gallogly, Ilene Graff, Jacqueline King, Athena Kottack, Katherine Kramer, Kate Linder, Sandy Martin, Sheena Metal, Erin Murphy, Susan Olsen, Kate Prendergast, Robin Riker, Kimleigh Smith, Dr. Estella Sneider, Corinne Spicer, and Kathleen Wilhoite.