Twenty-three black-clad ladies stomp, clap and chant “V…A…G…I…N…A…S,” building to a frenzy of “Vaginas! Vaginas! Vaginas!”
  No, this wasn’t a feminist throw-down or a female empowerment rally. It was the C of C chapter of the National Organization for Women’s annual production of “The Vagina Monologues.”
“It’s the best year this year, even though we say that every year,” says co-producer Nicole Darden, senior. “This year it was bigger. There were three shows instead of just one.”
Held Feb. 11 and 12 in the Physicians Auditorium, the performance featured a cast of 23 “vivacious vagina-loving” C of C students, ranging from freshmen to seniors, some with a background in theatre, others with a background in biology.
“We’re all kind of in the same boat, even though a lot of our backgrounds varied,” says junior Danielle Dunwald, who stole the show as a leather-clad dominatrix in “The Woman Who Loved to Make Vaginas Happy” monologue.
“It’s the whole cause behind ‘The Vagina Monologues.’ I love that women can come together…to become aware.”
The intention of “The Vagina Monologues” is not just to entertain. It’s part of V-Day, a worldwide initiative to stop violence against women. The C of C performance donates portions of its proceeds to two local organizations: People Against Rape and The Center for Women.
“Ours is the only performance of ‘The Vagina Monologues’ in Charleston,” says co-director Aasha Foster, senior. “It needs to happen here, because North Charleston has such a high percentage of rapes.”
The directors and producers also think that the production is especially relevant on a campus that is 66 percent female and home to a number of rapes and sexual assaults that go unreported.
“It’s such a big deal, but no one talks about it because of our ‘genteel Southern ways,’” says co-producer Rachel Reinke, senior.
“The Vagina Monologues” are anything but genteel. Though the script stays essentially the same from year to year, the actresses bring their own personalities, and of course, vaginas, to the show.
Liza Fleury stomped onto the stage, shrieking about the injustices of tampons and thongs in “My Angry Vagina.” Caroline Burns, Sarah Holt and Mallory Kowalczyk bravely journeyed where few C of C students have gone before on a quest to make a once-dirty and derogatory term acceptable in “Reclaiming C***.”
This year, the “Spotlight” monologue was “The Democratic Republic of the Congo,” emotionally and intensely performed by Isa Teresa Metz. She told the story of a teenager kidnapped and forced into sex slavery at the age of 15, an alarmingly common occurrence in the DRC to which the V-Day organization wanted to give extra attention.
“The Vagina Monologues” run the gamut of emotions, ranging from absolutely hilarious to incredibly heart-breaking, but always up-front and “in your face.” After each actress gave her monologue, she taped a big red letter to a board in the back, contributing to the true message the production is meant to deliver: “UNTIL THE VIOLENCE STOPS.”