ASU Vagina Monologues production benefits anti-violence charity
By Megan Wadding

A cast of 11 performers will deliver monologues during a benefit presentation of The Vagina Monologues March 5, 6 and 7 at Arizona State University’s Tempe campus.

It’s the 11th year the show has been performed at ASU, part of V-Day, a global movement to stop violence against women and girls.

The emotional, and occasionally comedic, play is based on of Eve Ensler’s book The Vagina Monologues, a collection of stories by real women about sex, relationships, self-discovery, abuse, vaginas and more.

"The play not only raises a great deal of money to help end violence against women, it educates and unites women,” according to Tiffany Duening, 24, who graduated from ASU last year. She’s been involved with the ASU production for the last three years as a producer and is volunteering her help again this year.

“We include a lot of information about rape, domestic violence, and cultural violence like female genital mutilation,” Duening said. “The information encourages others to take action to end violence or to give more to the V-Day cause.”

V-Day encourages groups to stage benefit productions of shows during February, March and April to increase awareness, raise money and revitalize the spirit of anti-violence organizations. Its goal is to generate broader attention for the fight to stop violence against women and girls, including rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation and sexual slavery.

ASU was among the first colleges to perform the show and the university’s performance raises more than $10,000 every year for a different charity, Duening said.

"Ten percent of our proceeds go to the national V-Day organization, which uses the funds to help their international efforts,” Duening said. “The rest of our proceeds go directly and entirely back to the community.”

This year’s beneficiary is A New Leaf, a provider of domestic violence services and shelters, Duening said.

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