The Vagina Monologues auditions get overwhelming response

The recently held two-day auditions to complete the casting of the critically acclaimed and controversial play, “The Vagina Monologues,” was well received and attended by aspiring women of the CNMI.

Off the Beaten Path member Fran Castro said the organization behind the production of the play held successful auditions last week.

“It was a casting call for a play. Not your usual play with the usual theme. This one is called the Vagina Monologues and any woman who wanted to try out to be in the performance was welcomed,” she said.

Castro said the auditions did not call for an experience on stage but only required just a willingness to speak out about women’s issues and a desire to raise money for Guma Esperansa’s House of Hope for battered woman and for Justice for Comfort Women.

She said several women came into the room either alone or with a friend. “Some were nervous, some shy, some bold. There were also older women with gray hair, young girls in short skirts, local women, “haole” women, a wonderful mix of women who had one thing in common: the courage to stand up and read scripts in front of a small unfamiliar audience of friendly faces, said Castro.

The women were given three scripts each to read. “One was the voice of an angry woman who complained about the injustice of un-lubricated tampons. Another script was the words of a sassy woman who enjoyed moaning and the third was simply a straight factual piece of information.”

KMCV covered the auditions and Castro said that added to the challenge to women during the auditions. Castro commended the women. She said each woman did amazingly well and the small audience applauded loudly and appreciatively after each reading. “They were all that good,” she said.

The casting committee decided to give each woman the script or monologue based on her unique strength during the auditions.

Castro said there would be more rehearsals before the show is shown on March 23 to 25 this year. She said there would be more directions in a very short time and these women would soon perform for Saipan to bring to life the world renowned show that has gotten raves wherever it has been shown because of its breathtaking honesty and untarnished truths.

The Vagina Monologues will be staged on March 23, 24, and 25. The time and venue will be announced soon, said Castro. She said it’s still possible to volunteer to help on the show by e-mailing her at francastro@vzpacifica.net.