Once again, Fall River joined the global effort to stop violence against women and girls with a presentation of the Best of V-Day 2015. Readings included favorites from "The Vagina Monologues" and "A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant, and a Prayer!" by Eve Ensler, at the Eagle Performing Arts Center on April 24th and 25th, 2015. Each of the monologues  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 108-minute video of the 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) After the audience settles into the Eagle Center for the Performing Arts, V-Day Committee Chairwoman Annemarie Holly introduces the performance. (Row two) Following an introduction and a performance of "A Web of Words" by the entire cast, Renee Dufour performs "First Kiss" about a young woman's first experience with a man.
(Row three) Renee, Jennifer Vincent and  Brittany Nardi perform "Wear & Say Lists". (Row four) Caroline Paradis performs "The Flood". (Row five) Rachel Fortes performs "The Vagina Happy Fact". (Row six) Eric Paradis reads "Untitled.  (Row seven) Brian Moses interprets "The Destruction Artist". (Row eight ) Brittany Nardi reads "In Memory of Imette" and performs "True" with Annemarie Holly (Rows nine and ten) Tabitha Gendreau performs "Happy Vagina" to uproarious audience laughter. (Row eleven) Rachel Fortes performs "Because He Liked to Look at it". (Row twelve) Jennifer Vincent interprets "Blueberry Hill". (Row thirteen)  Caroline Paradis performs "The Not-so-Happy-Fact". (Row fourteen) Annemarie Holly performs "The Woman Who Likes to Make Vaginas Happy" before Heather Monoson performs "I Was There in the Room". (Row fifteen) The audience listens to Spotlight Monologues. (Rows sixteen and seventeen) Wendy Garf-Lipp closes with "My Revolution Starts in My Body" and a statement of why the performance is so important to building understanding, respect and justice for women around the world.