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'A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant, and A Prayer' at WIU Feb. 19-21

February 6, 2015

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MACOMB, IL – Western Illinois University's inaugural performance of playwright Eve Ensler's "A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant, and A Prayer" (MMRP) will be held on the Macomb campus Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 19-21 as part of the V-Day 2015 campaign.

V-Day is a global activist movement to stop violence against women and girls that raises funds and awareness through benefit productions of Ensler's award-winning play "The Vagina Monologues," "MMRP" and other artistic work. The performances begin at 7 p.m. in the Multicultural Center's first floor multipurpose/activity room.

Advance tickets are $8 for students and $10 for non-students and are on sale in the Women's Center, suite 209, in the Multicultural Center. Tickets also may be purchased from members of the cast and crew and at tables in the University Union Concourse from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Feb. 9-11 and Feb. 16-17.

If the performances do not sell out in advance, admission at the door will be $10 for students and $12 for non-students.

Doors will open at 6:30 p.m., and a resource table fair will provide informational materials about support services for victims, survivors and anyone interested in helping prevent and end sexual and interpersonal violence. As part of the fundraising efforts, buttons, t-shirts, books and other V-Day merchandise will also be for sale. All proceeds from the V-Day 2015 event will benefit violence prevention efforts and survivor support services.

The WIU V-Day campaign is sponsored by the WIU Women's Center and the Feminist Action Alliance (FAA) student organization, and this is the first year "MMRP" has been performed at Western.

"We held 'The Vagina Monologues' at WIU for 13 years, beginning in 2001, with the exception of one year (2003), and we're excited to be able to bring this new production to our campus this year," said Janine Cavicchia, director of the WIU Women's Center and adviser to the WIU FAA organization. "I am always amazed at and inspired by the incredible talent and passion of our cast members and am impressed by their outstanding performances every year. I'm very proud of the cast and crew for their hard work and dedication."

Women's Center graduate assistant and FAA graduate adviser Alondra Olvera, who is producing this year's show, said she is excited to be involved with V-Day and bringing "MMRP" to WIU.

"I was involved at my community college with MMRP in 2011, but I haven't had a chance to do it since then," she said. "These performances will make you laugh, cry and be moved to help and empower women everywhere. I hope everyone who comes learns something new and is empowered to keep moving forward."

Tuesdai Perry, a senior theatre directing major from Gary, IN, will direct this year's play. She is active in the WIU Department of Theatre and Dance and around campus, and she was involved in WIU's "TVM" productions the past three years.

According to the V-Day website, in 2007, Random House published "A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer: Writings to Stop Violence Against Women and Girls," a groundbreaking collection of monologues by world-renowned authors and playwrights, edited by Eve Ensler and Mollie Doyle.

The volume features such authors and topics as: Edward Albee; Maya Angelou on women's work; Carol Gilligan on a daughter witnessing her mother being hit; Susan Miller on raising a son as a single mother, and Patricia Bosworth on her own physically abusive relationship.

These writings, which have been described as "inspired, funny, angry, heartfelt, tragic and beautiful," are meant to expose and examine various types of violence, to show how gender-based interpersonal affects everyone and to encourage everyone to speak up, speak out and demand an end to violence.

For more information about the V-Day Worldwide Campaign, visit vday.org or youtube.com/watch?v=7YS8NIBc-z0. For more information about local V-Day activities, visit wiu.edu/wc, facebook.com/WIUWomensCenter or contact the Women's Center at (309) 298-2242 or womenscenter@wiu.edu.

Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing