By Katlin Sweeney

Editor-in-Chief

Student org. Feminists Unite will be presenting a night of laughter and tears as an alternative to the traditional Valentine’s Day celebration.

The Vagina Monologues originate from the play written by Eve Ensler of the same name. Ensler travelled around the world to conduct a series of interviews, asking women questions about their lives and sexuality. The answers she received ranged from happy to sad, reflected in the stories that would later become the play’s framework. The Vagina Monologues is a script that presents the lives and experiences of women across the globe. Performed all around the world, CSUSM will be hosting its own interpretation of the script as has been done in the past.

Feminists Unite members Karen Guzman and Ashley Gutierrez have spearheaded the organization of the event and look forward to seeing the performers take to the stage this Valentine’s Day.

“Most of the performances have an introduction, so someone will give a one minute speech about what is going to come up next. While it is performed in different languages around the world, the script is always the same. You never know what is going to come next. The point of it is to raise awareness about violence against women,” Gutierrez said.

The Vagina Monologues are typically anywhere between an hour and a half to two hours in duration. This includes an intermission, which this year will include the opportunity to win prizes. There will also be a tabling event beforehand, where students can meet different groups and gather various resources dedicated to social justice. The tabling starts 45 minutes before show time.

The Vagina Monologues will take place in English on Friday, Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. and in Spanish on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 7 p.m. It will be in the Arts 111 Performance Hall.