The Nicholls Women’s Resource and Services Office and the Office of Student Life will host a production of the “The Vagina Monologues” on March 2, 3 and 4 at 7 p.m. in Peltier Auditorium to raise consciousness and funding to help stop violence against women.The play centers on a reader or group of readers who present each of the script’s monologues. Each story performed was inspired by the experiences of more than 200 women interviewed by the play’s author, Eve Ensler.

While Nicholls has hosted the production before, faculty sponsors decided to perform the play to honor the recent founding of the Nicholls Women’s Resource and Services Office.

“The time was right because of the development of the Women’s Resource and Services Office, which focuses on violence against women on campus. We also had interested students and supportive administration,” Sabrina Laurent, coordinator of the Office of Women’s Resource and Services Office, said.

Cast members include: Stacey Guidry, psychology graduate student from Raceland; Stacey LeBoeuf, psychology senior from Raceland; Adrienne Naquin, family and consumer science senior from Labadieville; Amy Ford, culinary arts sophomore from St. Louis, Mo.; Elizabeth Crabtree, psychology sophomore from Houma; Heather Casey, business administration sophomore from Aptos, Calif.; Kimberly Cheramie, psychology graduate student from Cut-Off; Sara Dugas, psychology senior from Berwick; Kate LeBlanc, biology junior from Plattenville; Jenny Matherne, mass communication sophomore from Des Allemands; Ashli Richardson, psychology graduate student from Houma; and Jennifer White, Student Programming Association adviser.

Although the play deals with issues of sexuality and violence against women that many individuals may consider highly controversial, cast members have learned to deal openly with the subject matter.

“It really holds a lot of feelings that I do have about evasiveness of language and just speaking out. It’s about speaking out and being treated with respect. If the wording wasn’t so raw the point wouldn’t get across,” Guidry said.

Cast members also believe that performing such a production becomes easier over time.

“I thought it was going to be difficult before I did it, but after rehearsals it just came naturally,” Naquin said.

Other members of the production agree that the meaning behind the script is an important aspect of the performance.

“I’ve never heard the word vagina so much in my life, and people are okay with saying it,” Rina Clarke, director of the production and Greek Life adviser for the Office of Student Life, said. “There are a lot of women who are dying to talk. Everyone wants to talk about and make it something that no one is ashamed of. I think that ‘the v word’ is not the physical part. It’s more about what womanhood represents. It’s the mentality with the body part.”

Some cast members have used “The Vagina Monologues” to raise broader issues, such as the sexuality of women affected by physical handicaps.

“I thought it needed to be diversified, and there was no one with a physical disability in the play. I wanted to be that person,” Stacy LeBoeuf said. “It’s taken for granted. If it’s going to be shown it needs to be shown in a positive light,”

University sponsors must obtain the rights to perform the play from V-Day, a campaign created in 1997 to support the awareness and prevention of violence against women. Ten percent of the total profits from the performance must be donated to V-Day in support of their global work in Kenya, Uganda, Bosnia, Croatia, Afghanistan and other nations. The remaining 90 percent of the Nicholls production’s profits are donated to non-profit organizations in the Houma/Thibodaux community. Proceeds from Nicholls’ performance will be donated to the Nicholls Women’s Resource Center and Chez Hope.