'Monologues' movement again heads to UH

By Derek Paiva
Advertiser Staff Writer

A standing-room-only crowd embraced last year's performance of "The Vagina Monologues" at UH-Manoa. Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser 'The Vagina Monologues' 8 p.m. today, 2 p.m. tomorrow Kennedy Theatre, University of Hawai'i-Manoa $10 ($5 students). Cash only. 738-2787, 741-0169 Proceeds benefit local offices of the Sex Abuse Treatment Center, Sisters Offering Support, Parents and Children Together, Family Peace Center and the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan.

Since 1998, "Vagina Monologues" creator Eve Ensler has copped two months from late January through early March for an annual campaign called V-Day.

V-Day is Ensler's global movement to end violence against "women and girls" through events (such as homegrown "Monologues" productions) that raise awareness and money for local and global anti-violence organizations.

For this year's V-Day campaign, Ensler premiered a filmed solo performance of "Monologues," which has been running on HBO since Feb. 14. As in years past, Ensler has also given free stage rights to her controversial yet immensely well-received creation to more than 150 community organizations and 543 college campuses worldwide. (Though not an official V-Day event, one of "Monologues" national touring companies had a three-week run on O'ahu and Maui in January and February.)

V-Day-associated productions of "Monologues" have been held in town halls, church basements and college auditoriums worldwide. This year's stagings — in locales as far-flung as Kenya, Romania, Bosnia and Cameroon — are expected to raise close to $4 million for anti-violence organizations.

The UH production, directed by graduate student Angela Mangano, takes the Kennedy Theatre stage. When Mangano directed "Monologues" last March, in Hawai'i's first staging of the production, it was presented for a standing-room-only audience in a tiny campus auditorium.

"Raising awareness and money are two important things we're doing," Mangano said. "But for me (V-Day and "Monologues") are also about being able to empower women individually."

Ninety percent of the proceeds collected from this year's production will go to local charities. At Ensler's urging, 10 percent goes to the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan.

In a change of pace from January's Hawai'i Theatre production, "each monologue will be done by an individual (cast member) to show the community spirit of women and the celebratory aspect of the show," Mangano said.

Two new monologues written by Ensler for V-Day 2002 productions — "My Short Skirt" and "Under the Burka" — will be added, as will a couple of original monologues written by UH instructors Tamie Hailiopua Baker and Kathryn Tanaka. "Adding to 'Monologues' is what really makes this a V-Day event," Mangano said.

Mariko Neubauer, "Monologues" cast member and UH freshman, praised Ensler's tenacity. "Eve Ensler set this whole thing up to get the word out ... and to stop violence against women and girls, she said. "She's an incredible woman."