OCC, UDM produce Vagina Monologues benefit

Oakland Community College (OCC) and University of Detroit Mercy (UDM) join together to raise funds and awareness to end violence against women and girls with their one night only production of Eve Ensler’s award-winning play "The Vagina Monologues".

Directed by Yolanda Fleischer, Eve Ensler's award-winning play will be performed at Smith Theatre on Oakland Community College’s Orchard Ridge campus, 27055 Orchard Lake Road, Farmington Hills on on Thursday, February 10, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.

In 2010, over 5,400 V-Day benefits raised over $4 million for the fight to end violence toward women and girls through performances of "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", along with screenings of V-Day’s documentary "Until The Violence Stops".

This benefit production is sponsored by the Oakland Community College Womencenter and the University of Detroit Mercy Women’s & Gender Studies and Theatre Programs.

All proceeds will benefit Alternatives for Girls and Michigan Women’s Justice and the Clemency Project, both local agencies that work to end violence against women.

The 2011 Vagina Monologue cast includes special performances by Amy Lange of Fox 2 Detroit and Shannon Murphy of 95.5 FM's "Mojo in the Morning". Other cast members include: Laurie Britt-Smith (UDM), Barbara Bolz (UDM/OCC), Arlene Frank (OCC), Lilli Bishop (OCC), Esther Harris (UDM), Kandice Wright (UDM), Brittani Binns (UDM), Nicole Meisner (UDM), Lauren Myrand (UDM), Kaitlynn Young (UDM), Shirley Benyas, Barbie Weisserman (OCC), Christina Cogbill (OCC), Nicole Drogmiller (OCC), Johnice Littlejohn (UDM), Kaitlynn Young (UDM), Erin Ginger (OCC), Kandice Wright (UDM), Danijela Zivadinovic (OCC), Brianna Buckley (OCC), Holly Beliah (UDM), Autumn Theillesen (UDM), and Diane O’Brien Hill (OCC).

The Vagina Monologues, which was first performed off-Broadway by Ensler, dives into the mystery, humor, pain, power, wisdom, outrage and excitement buried in women’s experiences.

Tickets for The Vagina Monologues are $20 for general admission and $10 for students (ID required). Tickets are available for sale in advance by calling the University of Detroit Mercy Theatre box office at 313-993-3270 or at the door the night of the event.

To learn more about V-Day call the OCC Womencenter (248) 522-3641 or the UDM Women’s & Gender Studies Program at (313) 993-3387. To learn more about V-Day and its campaigns visit vday.org.