Fall River joined the global effort to stop violence against women and girls with a reading from the "The Vagina Monologues" by Eve Ensler, at the Eagle Performing Arts Center on March 9, 2013. Each of the monologuse relates to the vagina, be it through sex, love, rape, menstruation, female genital mutilation, masturbation, birth, orgasm, the variety of names for the vagina, or simply as a physical aspect of the body. A recurring theme throughout the piece is the vagina as a tool of female empowerment, and the ultimate embodiment of individuality. Ensler wrote, "I'm obsessed with women being violated and raped, and with incest. All of these things are deeply connected to our vaginas." Ten percent of the proceeds goes to the National V-Day Committee (in lieu of copyright fees), and the rest goes to benefit the Katie Brown Educational Program whose curriculum teaches students to identify the many types of violence, and empowers them to develop the skills necessary to prevent violence from becoming a factor in their relationships. Click here for a one hour 40minute video of the entire presentation. Click here for pictures of last year's presentation. For more information, contact Wendy Garf-Lipp of United Neighbors of Fall River at 508-324-7900.

(Top row) Jennifer Preston purchases a ticket from Annemarie Sharkey at the Eagle Performing Arts Center where over 160 people were in attendance. (Row two) Directors Debb Orlando and Annemarie Sharkey introduce the Monologues before Brittany Nardi and Elizabeth Malkin interpret the introduction to the show, explaining how The Vagina Monologues came to be. (Row three) Ruth Kositsky reads a monologue call "Hair." (Row three, center) Suzanne Ramos, Bethany Toure and Shela Carreiro interpret "The Wear and Say Lists." (Row four, left) Jahnna Khoury presents "The Flood." (Row four, center) Shela and Jahnna read from "A Six-Year-Old Girl Was Asked." (Row, four, right) Pam Kaitim-Miller presents "The Little Coochi Snorcher That Could." (Bottom row) Debb Orlando and Bethany Toure present their monologues before Wendy Garf-Lipp closes with a monologue and a statement about the significance of the Monologues.