THE V MEN MONOLOGUES
Friday Evening Program (March 25th)
8:00PM - V Men reading from A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant, and A Prayer by Eve Ensler with Dylan McDermott and other notable and local guests*. Plus a special musical performance by Chris Pierce.
A MEMORY, A MONOLOGUE, A RANT AND A PRAYER: WRITINGS TO END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN & GIRLS. This performance is a groundbreaking collection of monologues by world-renowned authors and playwrights and edited by Eve Ensler and Mollie Doyle. These diverse voices rise up in a collective roar to break open, expose, and examine the insidiousness of violence at all levels: brutality, neglect, a punch, even a put-down.
VDay Santa Monica 2011 Executive Producer Deborah Kagan explains, "It's always been a dream/vision of mine to have an evening of men in this conversation of ending violence towards women and girls, because simply, it can't be done without them. We must have men and women in this dialogue in order to take significant steps to make lasting change."
She continues, "Additionally, men need to hear from other men how to really be a man. They want the understanding and awareness that emotions and behaviors don’t need to be violent or macho, and that it is possible to live life not divorced and devoid from feelings. Plus, men need to be able to have a comfortable place and space to talk about what they witnessed. How violence has affected them and the emotional weight as men, THEY continue to carry. This is not discussed nearly enough and a platform needs to be created for them."
Oprah Winfrey dedicated two full shows this season to men who've experienced sexual abuse and the repercussions on their lives. While our show is not about that directly, there is clearly an opening occurring for men to be a part of this conversation, heal their own wounds (whether they were directly abused or surrounded by it) and become catalysts for a new generation of men who are female-positive AND manly men.
THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES
Saturday Evening Program (March 26th)
8:00PM - The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler.
10:00PM - Red carpet after party sponsored by Lexus of Santa Monica.
Through V-Day campaigns, local volunteers and college students produce annual benefit performances of The Vagina Monologues, A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer, Any One Of Us: Words From Prison, screenings of V-Day's documentary Until The Violence Stops, and the PBS documentary What I Want My Words To Do To You, Spotlight Teach-Ins and V-Men workshops, to raise awareness and funds for anti-violence groups within their own communities. In 2010, over 5,400 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.