The Philippine Center NY Hosts THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES, 4/11

Eve Ensler's THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES will be performed twice at the Kalayaan Hall of the Philippine Center (556 Fifth Avenue, New York City) on Sunday, April 11, 2010, 2:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Sponsored by GMA Pinoy TV, this award-winning play is part of the V-Day New York 2010 campaign that aims to  raise awareness on violence against women and young girls. 

Ensler's THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES has been translated into 45 languages and performed in over 130 countries, including sold-out performances on Broadway's . Westside Theatre

The play is based on Ensler's (playwright, performer and activist) first-hand, in-depth interviews with more than 200 women and girls that bravely tackle tough subjects such as female sexuality and strength. 

"Spellbinding, funny and almost unbearably moving...THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES is both a work of art and an incisive piece of cultural history, a poem and a polemic, a performance and a balm and a benediction," Variety said in an earlier review. 

The overwhelming support Ensler received for THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES has inspired her to organize V-DAY, a global movement.

V-DAY, featuring THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES, was launched in 1998. It played to around 2,500 audience members at the Hammerstein's Ballroom in New York.  $250,000.00 was raised that evening with performances from Ensler, , , , , , , , among others. Marisa TomeiSusan SarandonWinona RyderRosie PerezWhoopi GoldbergCalista FlockhartGlenn Close

V-DAY exists till today for no other reason but to fight violence against women and young girls.  It has already raised $70,000,000.00 to support its various causes. 

The campaign was cited by Worth Magazine as one of the "100 Best Charities" in 2001, and by Marie Claire Magazine as one of the "Top 10 Charities" in 2006.

According to THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES at the Philippine Center producer Mia Fernandez, the fund raiser will benefit three Filipino-American organizations:

JazzPhil-USA (http://www.jazzphil-usa.com), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization chaired by premier Jazzipino Artist Charmaine Clamor. Its project, "Healing Through Music," aims to raise awareness of domestic violence and the promotion of constructive healing through music lessons and active participation. With THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES, JazzPhil-USA hopes that musical instruments will be generously donated and volunteer musicians will help hold lessons. "Through 'Healing Through Music,' we strive to turn domestic violence victims into strong, confident victors," says Clamor.

Filipino American Human Services, Inc. (FAHSI), (http://www.fahsi.org), a community-based, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to serving the most vulnerable segments of the Filipino community in the tri-state area - the youth, women and the elderly. Rose Ann Ubarra-Cunanan, FAHSI's executive director, says that the Filipino Women's Support Program (FWSP) aims to provide services to women exploring and enhancing their personal growth in a supportive environment. The program offers individual and group counseling services (provided in both English and Tagalog) to address a wide range of social and personal issues and concerns, e.g. divorce, acculturation, immigration and domestic violence.

The League of Filipina Grandmothers (LILA PILIPINA), (http://labanforthelolas.blogspot.com) is headed by Fulbright Senior Research Scholar Evelina Galang. LILA PILIPINA spearheads the demand for apology and compensation from Japan for the thousands of Filipina World War II "Comfort Women" forced into systematic rape and enslavement. World War II "Comfort Women" are the 200,000 girls and women abducted by the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II forced to experience a life of systematic rape and enslavement. They are now mostly in their 80s and they are dying. They were taken from Korea, China, Indonesia, the Philippines and Taiwan. In the Philippines, historians say there were about 1,000 girls abducted.

For tickets to THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES at the Philippine Center, call 917-531-2014 or visit www.brownpapertickets.com.

To post a comment, you must register and login.