American Stage To Present The Vagina Monologues

Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues will be presented Tuesday, Sept. 23 through Sunday, Oct. 12, at American Stage Theatre, 211 Third St. S.

The production will be the first in American Stage Theatre Company's new After Hours Series and a portion of the ticket sales will benefit the local YWCA's efforts to assist teenage mothers according to a press release.

Performances will be Wednesday through Saturday, 10:30 p.m. Matinees are Tuesday and Sunday, 7 p.m. Tickets are “pay-what-you-can,” and part of the proceeds will benefit the local YWCA.

American Stage is looking for local female celebrities willing to go on stage and read a role during each performance. Those interested should e-mail Todd Olson at candtolson@aol.com.

“We are excited about opening our After Hours Series with as remarkable a piece as 'The Vagina Monologues," Todd Olson said. Olson, American Stage’s producing artistic director, pointed to an "outpouring of support" for recent late night performances of "An Evening Wasted with the Music of Tom Lehrer" and believes that American Stage has discovered a niche in producing edgier shows after its Mainstage plays have finished for the night. "We wanted to fill the needs of our patrons who are craving after hours theater."

"The Vagina Monologues," an Obie Award-winning play, originally ran at the off-Broadway Westside Theatre and the HERE Arts Center in New York City. An episodic play, it is made up of various monologues read by a varying number of women and covering topics such as listing pet names for private parts, telling stories about discovering “down there” and sounding-off about orgasms.

Drinks and food will be allowed into the seating area. Special show themed alcoholic beverages will be offered for sale. Call 823-7529.