THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES to Make Off-Broadway Return in Spanish, Begin. May 6

Eve Ensler's groundbreaking show, The Vagina Monologues, will return in a new form when the first New York City revival opens for a Spanish language engagement at its original off-Broadway home. Los Monólogos de la Vagina will begin performances at the Westside Theatre (407 West 43rd Street) on May 6. Opening night will be announced. Mexican director Jaime Matarredona helms the production. It is produced by Morris Gilbert and Federico González Compeán. This will mark the first time that a mainstream off-Broadway theatre has hosted a commercial Spanish language play for an ongoing run.

Morris Gilbert and Federico González Compeán are the producers of the long-running Mexico City production of Los Monólogos de la Vagina and two of the most prominent and prolific producers of Spanish language theatre in the world. The Mexico City production is now in its 14th year. They issued a joint statement saying, "We are proud to be presenting this show in Spanish at The Westside Theatre, one of New York City's most prestigious and mainstream off-Broadway houses. It is a breakthrough that we hope will open the door for a world of possibilities, both for Spanish language theatre and for the Spanish-speaking population living in the USA."

The production will be modeled after the current Mexico City production. Los Monólogos de la Vagina will be performed by a revolving cast and a portion of each ticket sold will go directly to benefit V-Day, the global activist movement founded by Eve Ensler whose mission is to end violence against women.

Casting will be announced.

The original Obie Award-winning production of The Vagina Monologues played 1381 performances at The Westside Theatre from 1999 to 2003. The show became a global phenomenon with productions in over 140 countries and in over 48 languages. A television version featuring Ensler was produced for HBO in 2002. Ensler and others launched V-Day, a global non-profit movement that has raised over $100 million for women's anti-violence groups through benefit performances of The Vagina Monologues and other artistic works.

Actors who have performed in The Vagina Monologues in productions and at events around the world include Brooke Shields, Cate Blanchett, Claire Danes, Cynthia Nixon, Glenn Close, Goldie Hawn, Jane Fonda, Jennifer Hudson, Kate Winslet, Kerry Washington, Lily Tomlin, Lucy Lawless, Marisa Tomei, Meryl Streep, Oprah Winfrey, Queen Latifah, Rosario Dawson, Rosie Perez, Salma Hayek, Susan Sarandon, Susie Essman, Thandie Newton, Viola Davis, Whoopi Goldberg and Winona Ryder.

Eve Ensler is the Tony Award winning playwright, activist and author of The Vagina Monologues. Eve's plays include Necessary Targets, The Treatment , The Good Body, and Emotional Creature. Her books include Insecure At Last: A Political Memoir; A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and a Prayer, New York Times bestseller I Am An Emotional Creature, and her latest critically acclaimed memoir In the Body of the World. She is also the founder of V-Day, the global activist movement to end violence against women and girls. Eve writes regularly for The Guardian, and her articles have appeared in International Herald Tribune and the Washington Post. Her new play O.P.C. will premiere at ART this November.

Jaime Matarredona is making his New York directing debut with Los Monólogos de la Vagina. One of Mexico's most versatile young directors, Jaime studied acting and directing with Mexico City's most prestiguous teachers. Currently he is the director of the Mexico City production of Los Monólogos de la Vagina and Sexy Laundry. Other directing credits there include the three Pulitzer Prize winners: Proof, Doubt and August: Osage County. Other plays as director include Venus in Fur; Defending the Caveman; Legends!; Mixed Emotions; A Steady Rain; Defending the Cavewoman; The Blonde, the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead; and a spectacular new production of Peter Pan, the Musical; all produced by OCESA. He has directed and adapted Wagner's Die Feen, and Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro & Cosi fan tutte for children.

V-Day is a global activist movement to end violence against women and girls that raises funds and awareness through benefit productions of Playwright/Founder Eve Ensler's award winning play "The Vagina Monologues" and other artistic works. The V-Day movement has raised over $100 million; educated millions about the issue of violence against women and the efforts to end it; crafted international educational, media and PSA campaigns; reopened shelters; and funded over 13,000 community-based anti-violence programs and safe houses in Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Kenya, and Iraq. V-Day has received numerous acknowledgements and awards and is one of the Top-Rated organizations on both Charity Navigator and Guidestar. V-Day's most recent global campaign, ONE BILLION RISING, has galvanized over one billion women and men on a global day of action towards ending violence against women and girls. www.vday.org

One Billion Rising, launched on Valentine's Day 2012, began as a call to action based on the staggering statistic that 1 in 3 women on the planet will be beaten or raped during her lifetime. With the world population at 7 billion, this adds up to more than ONE BILLION WOMEN AND GIRLS. On February 14 2013, people across the world came together to express their outrage, strike, dance, and RISE in defiance of the injustices women suffer, demanding an end at last to violence against women. This year, on February 14 2014, One Billion Rising for Justice focused on the issue of justice for all survivors of gender violence, and highlighted the impunity that lives at the intersection of poverty, racism, war, the plunder of the environment, capitalism, imperialism, and patriarchy. Events took place in 200 countries, where women, men, and youth came together to Rise, Release, and Dance outside of court houses, police stations, government offices, school administration buildings, work places, sites of environmental injustice, military courts, embassies, places of worship, homes, or simply public gathering places where women deserve to feel safe but too often do not. The campaign continues, visit www.onebillionrising.org.

Morris Gilbert (co-producer) is one of Mexico's most prolific theatre producers. He has served as director of the Theater Division of OCESA, producing Rent, The Phantom of the Opera, Man of La Mancha, Jesus Christ Superstar, Chicago The Musical, The Full Monty, Les Miserables, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Fiddler on the Roof, The Producers, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Mamma Mia!, A Chorus Line, Peter Pan, Mary Poppins, Defending the Caveman, the blockbuster Mexican musicals Mentiras and Si nos Dejan and most recently Wicked. He and Federico González Compeán are co-producers of the Mexico City production of Los Monólogos de la Vagina.

Federico González Compeán's (co-producer) career spans theatre, TV, and film. He was the managing director of major Mexican entertainment venues including the country's national theatre, Teatro de la Ciudad; the sports arena Palacio de los Deportes; and their national auditórium, Auditorio Nacional. At OCESA , he oversaw concerts including The Rolling Stones, U2, Oasis, and Liza Minnelli. His theatre producing credits include Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Houdini, Master Class, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), Defending the Caveman as well as all-Latin productions of Broadway shows in Argentina, Spain, and Brazil. He executive produced Academy Award nominated film "Amores Perros," among others films.

The original New York production of The Vagina Monologues was produced by David Stone, Willa Shalit, Nina Essman, Dan Markley/Mike Skipper, The Araca Group.

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