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January 9, 2002 BOISE STATE SPONSORS PLAY AND FORUM LOOKING AT WOMEN’S ISSUES Boise State University will present "The Vagina Monologues" at 8 p.m. Feb. 8-9 and again at 2 p.m. Feb. 10 in the Special Events Center in the Student Union. The production, sponsored by the Boise State Women’s Center, uses women’s own words to explore their views on sexuality, body image and ultimately who they are as women. Tickets, available through Select-a-Seat beginning Jan. 18, are $5 for Boise State students and $10 for general admission, or $4 and $8 respectively for the Sunday matinee. Last year’ shows sold out several days before the performances, so people are encouraged to get tickets early, All proceeds benefit Women’s Center programs for the education and support of students. To learn more about the purpose of the production, the community is invited to a free open forum at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 29, in the Student Union Bishop Barnwell Room. "The Vagina Monologues" is part of a nationwide initiative involving college- and university-sponsored productions. The productions are a part of the V-Day campaign to end sexual violence against women and proclaim Valentine’s Day as a day to celebrate women and end abuse. Melissa Wintrow, Women’s Center coordinator, said the intent is not to shock anyone in the community but to raise awareness. "We invite people to attend the forum and the performance to listen to real women’s stories about their own experiences," she said. "Then we hope that people will begin to talk more openly about these issues." Wintrow said that being able to talk openly about sexuality and women’s bodies helps disarm the negative self-esteem that comes from misinformation and affects how women are treated by society at large. The play is a series of 17 monologues based on interviews by playwright Eve Ensler with a diverse group of hundreds of real women. Although dialogue includes frank language and adult content, director and graduate student Autumn Haynes hopes it will be a catalyst for increased understanding. Twenty-four women, a mixture of Boise State students, staff and community members, comprise the cast. The production premiered off-Broadway in 1998 and has featured an array of big-name stars such as Oprah Winfrey, Calista Flockhart, Whoopi Goldberg, Susan Sarandon, Brooke Shields, Rosie Perez and Winona Ryder. For more information, visit www.vaginamonologues.com, www.vday.org or union.boisestate.edu/womenscenter. Contact: Media Contact:
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