Pussies Unite*

Right now I feel a lot like I did at about this time last year. Tonight was our first 2005 performance of the Vagina Monologues and it reminded me of the real reasons that I get invovled with things like this in the first place. Sure, I like (read: love) acting and need to be on stage every now and then or else I go crazy, but it's more because of the people I get to work with. The ladies in the cast this year are a great bunch and I've liked working with them and getting to know the people who did the show last year as well. I think that it takes a certain type of person to audition and even want to be in the show in the first place. As a whole, we are a very open minded bunch and comfortable with sexuality and womanhood in general.

When people ask me what The Vagina Monologues are about, I tell them that it's a bunch of women sitting around and talking about their vaginas. But there's more to it than that. The show is happy and sad; moments of orgasmic hilarity are well balanced with somber moments when issues like rape and abuse are covered. We talk about everything, from pubic hair and moaning to vagina workshops and birth. Last year I was the little girl living happily until she was continually raped by soldiers invading her country and then I orgasmically spelled out the word 'cunt' and got the audience to chant it with me. My monologue this year is about an ordinary man named Bob who loves to look at vaginas.

I really do think that people need to see the show - both women and men. The issues as individual concepts are important and so is the overall theme of The Monologues. Girls, remind yourself to be strong and boys, maybe you can learn something. Actually, I think that everyone can - and hopefully, will - learn something.

Before the performance started a bunch of us sat backstage and talked about getting our periods for the first time, short skirts, boobs and bras (and how damn expensive they are!), crushing on boys, and how the bathtub faucet - among other things like vibrating shower heads, carrots, zucchinis, left hands and various around-the-house items - can give us pleasure in unexpected ways.

The funniest lesson of the night was that swinging the other way to girls is not a good idea just because you've run into a few guys who are jerks and now are cynical about the opposite sex in general. I joked about this a lot though I didn't really seriously consider it. I forgot that girls can be, and generally, are complicated. It's weird to say this, but I wouldn't want to date me on one of my bad days - understanding me can be a bitch sometimes. But on my good days I'm lovely. Really!

Tonight was one of my lovely nights. We all sat around and a feeling of camaraderie - sisterhood really - filled the air as we shared stories and laughed out loud. If I can help it, I will do this show every year just to hear a group of women get up on stage and proclaim that they are not afraid. Because we aren't. Not of the patriarchy, not of those asshat guys, not of fully embracing our femininity and sexuality. Sure, womanhood can get on my nerves too sometimes (usually once a month), but I am not embarrassed nor ashamed and I have nothing to hide.

*I have a feeling this title will attract a lot of people on Google who are searching for porn. Sorry folks, you'll have to mosey on elsewhere to dirtier pastures.
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