Reporting by Ines Rosales and Claire Morgan

Hundreds crowded the University Union Ballroom on to watch Sacramento State’s benefit production of “The Vagina Monologues” on Thursday, Feb. 16.

“The Vagina Monologues” was written by Eve Ensler in 1996 as a way to celebrate women. Performances have occurred on campus since 2002.

This year, the show benefitted My Sister’s House, a local women’s shelter serving Asian and Pacific Islander women, as well as other women and children affected by sex trafficking, sexual assault and domestic violence.  

Jody Nelsen, President Robert Nelsen’s wife, participated in the production. Robert Nelsen, who was in the audience, stressed the importance of the show’s presence on campus.

“We celebrate women — over 56 percent of our students are women,” Nelsen said. “This is a great opportunity for everybody to be able to voice their feelings.”

For some cast members, participating in the show was not a question. Aisha Engle, a program coordinator at the Women’s Resource Center, said that doing the show felt natural to her and she enjoyed the time she spent with her cast members.

“They just asked me to do the show and I feel like it’s in line with what I do on a daily basis” Engle said. “My favorite part is being around amazing folks that are performing with great passion and intention to impact the campus and that is the most remarkable thing for me.”

Engle hopes the show will inspire audience members to take action on issues affecting women.

“I want people to recognize that women have gone through significant trauma in relation to sexual violence. We are part of that solution in awareness and giving conscious thought to those things that are going on in the world,” Engle said. “I would love for the audience to become a part of the solution and become more aware of the things that women have faced.”

Audience member Regiena Dela Cruz, a junior family and consumer science major, has been friends with the show’s co-director Taylor Summers since middle school. Cruz attended the show to support her long-time friend and said the show left a positive and powerful impression on her.

“I feel more powerful after watching this show. Everybody expressing each other’s thoughts and emotions all compiled and made the audience realize and learn different views,” Dela Cruz said. “A lot of people aren’t expressive about their vaginas and I think this show made people like they shouldn’t feel shy about it.”

Cast member Aja C. Holmes is no stranger to the show, having participated in seven different productions of ‘The Vagina Monologues.’ Whether she is on or off the stage, Holmes continues working in the show because of the message it sends to the audience.

“It doesn’t matter if I’m in the show or not, the mission and the work being done because of this show is why I would always come see it,” Holmes said. “I don’t care if I’ve seen it over and over again — it needs to be out (and) it needs to be happening because of all the violence that is happening to women.”

In the seven productions that Holmes has participated in, Holmes always performs ‘The Flood’ monologue. ‘The Flood’ focuses on an uncomfortable sexual encounter experienced by a young woman.

“This particular monologue was something that happened to the victim as a teenager,” Holmes said. “It made her not want to engage at all with a part of her body that produces life (and) pleasure —  it’s a part of her body that is never going to leave her.”

Holmes hopes that the show will inspire audience members to become involved in the fight against violence.

“I want them to intervene on behalf of violence that’s happening, recognize it, speak up and give a resource to save a life,” Holmes said.

She said it’s time for all people — including men — to become more aware of the violence occurring towards women.

“People need to stop sitting on the sidelines, stop choosing silence and stop thinking they can’t be part of this conversation because they don’t have a vagina,” Holmes said. “We need men to stand up (and) to say ‘stop.’ ”

Throughout the year of participating in this show, Holmes said that she has watched young women grow as individuals. She enjoys spending time with women who are passionate about bringing awareness to serious issues.

“My favorite part about the show is interacting with young women who are finding their voices and own road of activism around women’s safety and health,” Holmes said. “I’ve known some of them for three years so I’ve seen them flourish and mature — they keep me energized and excited.”