V-Day and I :)

For the last 4 years I am involved with an activist movement, aiming to stop violence against women and girls. It’s called V-Day, it’s a global movement, celebrated its 15th anniversary last Valentine’s Day with a global campaign ONE BILLION RISING. You must have heard of it, or seen somewhere, ifnot, well you are hearing it now, never too late.
A big part of the movement are the productions of The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler. In colleges, community theaters, professional theaters women come together and they put up a staged reading of the piece, sell tickets and find various ways to raise funds around the event. 10% of the sum goes to V-Day, each year they have a spotlight campaign, the rest 90% has to go to a local organization fighting for the same cause.
For the last 3 years, I’ve been the co-director of the play and it’s been a ride! So many lessons I’ve learned about life, communication, and theatre. In theatre, you have to love people, otherwise it’s impossible to survive in it. In a V-Day production, you gotta love women! And I love them, I have deep respect for them, especially towards women who are not afraid to speak up and take risks.
To me the director’s job in a V-Day production starts with knowing that it’s not about you directing it, it’s not about them acting in

it, it is about “it”, the cause that brought us together, and “us” simply being together. Once you’re clear about it’s simply about being together, everything gets simpler. Sometimes I just see myself as a facilitator rather than a “Director” with a capital D!
Every year we like to add little directorial surprises, on how we stage the monologues, how we divide them up.. this year we will start with a movement piece and end with a dance with live drums! There will be colors and movement!
And did I mention that we have 40 women in the cast this year? So it will be a party!
I was supposed to write about my grandmother, who passed away last summer, and to whom I’m dedicating my V-Day efforts. But I guess that will be in another post!
Come to beautiful 4thU Society to see The Vagina Monologues!
March 22nd and 23rd at 8pm, doors will open with V-Fair at 7pm. Tickets: http://www.4thu.org/v-day-2013/