V-Day Norwalk 2012 to Present 'The Vagina Monologues' April 20-21

(The following press release was submitted to Patch on Monday, March 19:)

V-Day Norwalk 2012 announces two performances of The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler on Friday, April 20 and Saturday, April 21, at 8 p.m., at The Carriage House Arts Center in Norwalk’s Cranbury Park.

Audience members are invited to join the cast for a wine and cheese reception following both performances.

Last year, over 5,800 V-Day benefits were held around the world to raise funds and awareness in the ongoing campaign to end violence against women. These highly successful events raised more than $5 million through performances of Eve Ensler’s award-winning play, The Vagina Monologues, readings from V-Day’s A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer and Any One Of Us: Words From Prison, and screenings of V-Day’s documentary Until The Violence Stops.

Norwalk has joined this global movement as part of the V‑Day 2012 Community Campaign for the first time.

Directed by Juliana Kenny, a Norwalk native, and produced by Stamford resident Tamare Wolf, The Vagina Monologues will feature 18 local women performing monologues from Ensler’s script. The Vagina Monologues is an episodic play based on Ensler’s interviews with more than 200 women that celebrates women’s sexuality and strength.

“We live in a world and a time where women’s bodies are constantly under attack, whether it be in a war-torn region of Africa, through legislative proceedings in the U.S., or in misogynistic rants by popular media personalities. V-Day is trying to change that. I, along with other concerned members of this planet, am trying to change that. As a woman, as a thinker, as a participant in this world, I have to believe that we can change it,” said Kenny.

Tickets are $25, with proceeds from the Norwalk performances going directly toward The Domestic Violence Crisis Center. The DVCC is committed to promoting the fundamental right of all individuals to be safe in their personal relationships.

With a professional staff who have years of experience and advocacy in the field of domestic violence, the agency offers confidential services at no charge, including court and legal services, group and individual counseling, temporary shelter, housing services, children’s services, medical advocacy, professional adult trainings, multilingual services, PeaceWorks prevention education, a 24-hour hotline (1-888-774-2900) and EsperanzaCT, a Spanish language website and 24-hour phone service line.

The DVCC serves the communities of Stamford, Norwalk, Westport, Darien, New Canaan, Wilton and Weston.

As April is also Sexual Assault Awareness Month, representatives from the Center for Sexual Assault Crisis Counseling and Education will be present at both performances with educational information about their programs that provide free, 24-hour confidential help to women, men, and children who have experienced sexual assault.

The Center’s mission is to provide counseling and support services to victims of sexual violence and to eliminate sexual violence through community-wide education programs. For more information, visit www.thecenter-ct.org.

Ticket reservations can be made by calling The Carriage House Arts Center box office at 203-229-9797 or by visiting The Carriage House Arts Center website, carriagehouseartscenter.org, and clicking on the “Contact Us/Reservations” tab. Payment will be accepted at the door. Cash is preferred, but checks will be accepted. Space is limited; however, tickets will be available at the door on a first-come, first-serve basis.

To make a donation, contact Juliana Kenny at vdaynorwalktvm@gmail.com. All checks, whether for ticket purchases or private donations, should be made out to the DVCC.

Follow V-Day Norwalk on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/VDayNorwalk.