Selected Press Releases

LOCAL COLLEGES TO BENEFIT WOMANSPACE IN FEBRUARY 2003

Trenton, NJ – Community involvement and raising awareness regarding violence against women take center stage in area events scheduled for February. Celebrating V-Day and raising funds for Womanspace, Inc., a Mercer County-based agency that provides services for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, three local colleges – Rider University, The College of New Jersey and Princeton University – will hold performances of “The Vagina Monologues,” a provocative and highly acclaimed play by Eve Ensler.

V-Day, a global movement to stop violence against women and girls, promotes creative events to increase awareness, raise money and revitalize the spirit of existing anti-violence organizations. V-Day generates broad attention for the fight to stop worldwide violence against women and girls including rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation and sexual slavery. Valentine’s Day has been chosen as the universal V-Day, with all the local performances taking place on or near February 14.

With the focus of “The Vagina Monologues” performances on raising funds for Womanspace and increasing awareness regarding violence against women and girls, all three colleges invite members of the community to attend one or more of the performances. In addition to providing support for Womanspace by attending performances at different colleges, theatergoers may find it thought provoking and entertaining to experience different interpretations of Ensler’s award-winning play by different casts of actors.

The V-day movement is particularly appropriate for and supported on college campuses, according to Judith Johnston, who heads Rider University’s Gender Studies program. “Think about the popular and slang words we use to describe women’s sexual body parts,” says Johnston. “Those words express more than disrespect for women. They reflect the fact that violence against women and girls is common, not even newsworthy, and — although deplored — seen as inevitable. ‘The Vagina Monologues’ lets us talk about women’s sexuality with laughter, joy and acceptance. By respecting women’s bodies, these monologues show us how we can end violence against women.”

Director of the Rider benefit performances and Rider faculty member, Miriam Wells says, “I am excited and honored to be a part of this important event. Not only are we raising much-needed money, but we are giving our students an opportunity to consider their sexuality in a greater context.”

The Rider performances, co-directed by Student Director Katierose Donohue and sponsored by the Gender Studies & Fine Arts Programs, will be held on February 11 at 8:00 PM and February 12 at 7:00 PM & 9:30 PM, at the Yvonne Theatre, Rider University, Route 206, Lawrenceville, NJ. Tickets for the show are $10. Sponsorship Tickets are also available for $50 ($40 goes directly to Womanspace) and $100 ($90 goes directly to Womanspace). For information and tickets, please call Joan Phillips at (609) 896-5303.

The College of New Jersey performances, directed by Student Directors Jonathan Elliott, Ryan Haggett, Christine Mesropyan and Kathryn Sclavi and sponsored by Women in Learning & Leadership & ETC, will be held on February 14 and 15 at 8:00 PM at Campus Music Hall, The College of New Jersey, Route 31, Ewing, NJ. Princeton University performances, directed by Student Director Jessica Brondo and sponsored by Wym’on Stage, will be held on February 13, 14 and 15 at 8:00 PM at the Frist Campus Center, Princeton University Campus, Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ. For ticket information, call Susan Adams at (609) 394-0136.

At each performance, Womanspace will host an information table, providing literature regarding agency services and educational materials about domestic violence, rape and sexual assault and their prevention.

V-Day is a spirit – affirming that life should be lived creatively, while thriving rather than surviving or recovering from atrocities. It is a catalyst – by raising wide public awareness of the issue, it will reinvigorate efforts already underway and commence new initiatives in publicity, education and law. V-Day is a vital ongoing process. Supporters proclaim Valentine’s Day as V-Day until the violence against women stops. Only then will it become Victory Day. For more information about V-Day worldwide events, visit www.vday.org/world.

V-Day will help Womanspace continue and expand their work, while generating broader attention for the fight to stop worldwide violence against women and girls. Womanspace is a non-profit organization founded in 1977, providing comprehensive emergency and follow-up services for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault including rape.

Services include safe, short-term emergency shelter for victims of domestic violence and their children, 24-hour, bilingual hotlines and transitional housing programs. Individual counseling and support groups are available for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Education and training offers technical assistance to law enforcement officials, health care professionals, and members of the religious community, as well as prevention and intervention education for schools, community groups and social service agencies. The Womanspace 24-hour crisis hotline is 609-394-9000. Womanspace can also be found at www.womanspace.org.

For more information, contact kelly@kellygriffin.com.