By Margaretta
wa Gacheru (posted 12 March 2018)
It’s been 20
years since the first V-Day was established, marked by the premier performance
of Eve Ensler’s revolutionary production of ‘The Vagina Monologues’.
The V-Monologues
shocked, stirred and thrilled a whole generation of women who hadn’t felt free
until then to speak publically about domestic violence, leave alone about women’s
sexuality and the pain and pleasures of being a woman.
The New York
Times described the Monologues as “the most important piece of political
theatre of the last decade.”
In the last
two decades, The Monologues have been staged tens of thousands of times in
communities and on college campuses in over 200 countries around the world,
according to Mumbi Kaigwa who was first to stage the all-female production in
Nairobi in 2003.
There have
been numerous renditions of The Monologues since then. But always, the aim has
been to raise awareness, educate a wider public and raise funds to assist domestic
violence shelters and rape crisis centers. Worldwide, performances of The
Monologues have raised more than $100 million for groups assisting women and
girls.
The revenue
from the two Nairobi performances of Vagina Monologues being staged this coming
Tuesday and Wednesday, March 21st and 22nd at Kenya
National Theatre will go to the NGO, ‘Come Together Widows and Orphans
Organization’.
CTWO was
founded by Diana Kamande who gave a moving account of her work with destitute
and dispossessed women and girls last year when The Monologues were staged and
funds raised went to provide support for her organization.
This year’s
production is being directed by Kaz Lucas who’ll also join with a score of
other Kenyan women to give a passionate performance of the script that’s been
translated and staged to countless languages.
The other
women giving monologues include Mumbi Kaigwa who directed last year’s show,
Hana Kefela, Jesse Mungai, June Gachui, Kaz Lucas, Lorna Dias, Lorna Irungu
Macharia, Mkamzee Mwatela, Mo Pearson, Nini Wacera, Patricia Amira, Patricia
Kihoro, Patricia Waikimba, Savane Kemoli, Seroun Wang’ombe, Shazz, Sheila Munyiva, Silvia Cassini, Sofia
Rajah-Leteipan and Suzanne Gachukia-Opembe.
Meanwhile,
this weekend, don’t miss ‘Minister Karibu’ being staged at the smaller Kenya
National Theatre stage for two days only. Directed by Tash Mitambo, the show
has a great cast starring Bilal Wanjau as Winston Churchill Matumbato, Victor
Gatonye as GG Muriuki and Susan Kavathe as Mama Toto, just to name a few. The
show is political satire at its most biting and hilarious.
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