As you go about your regularly scheduled pre-Valentine's Day activities, make some time to see "The Vagina Monologues" this weekend at the Milwaukee Gay Arts Center, 703 S. 2nd St.
The show explores both the funny and the meaningful facets of female sexuality through real women's accounts compiled by author Eve Ensler.
Among the many diverse and unique perspectives are those of a 6-year-old girl, a woman who witnesses the birth of her granddaughter, a Bosnian survivor of rape and a feminist happy to have found a man who "liked to look at it."
New this year, the production will include a special tribute piece to Myriam Merlet, a Haitian activist and author who died in the 2010 earthquake. In addition to her role as chief of staff for the Ministry of Gender and the Rights of Women of Haiti, Merlet also helped bring "Monologues" to Haiti.
Performances of "The Vagina Monologues" will be held this Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and again on Sunday at 2 p.m. It's presented by an entirely local cast, including OnMilwaukee.com's own Molly Snyder, in conjunction with the 2011 V-Day Campaign to end violence against women and girls around the world.
Funds raised from admission prices will benefit Milwaukee's Sojourner Family Peace Center and the International V-Day Campaign.
Contrary to her natural state of being, Renee Lorenz is a total optimist when it comes to Milwaukee. Since beginning her career with OnMilwaukee.com, her occasional forays into the awesomeness that is the Brew City have turned into an overwhelming desire to discover anything and everything that's new, fun or just ... "different."
Expect her random musings to cover both the new and "new-to-her" aspects of Miltown goings-on, in addition to periodically straying completely off-topic, which usually manifests itself in the form of an obscure movie reference.
