Vaginal Discourse: Reconnecting the Female Body Through Performance

1
Vaginal DiscourseReconnecting the Female Body
Through Performance

• Delaenya Stapleton
• McNair Scholars Program
• University of California, Davis
• Department of Women and Gender Studies
• Professor Juana María Rodríguez

2

• I bet youre worried. I was worried.
• Thats why I began this piece.
• I was worried about vaginas.
• I was worried about what we think about vaginas,
• and even more worried that we dont think about
  them.
• I was worried about my own vagina.
• It needed a context of other vaginas
• a community, a culture of vaginas.
• Theres so much darkness and secrecy surrounding
  them
• like the Bermuda Triangle.
• Nobody ever reports back from there.
• Eve Ensler, The Vagina Monologues

3
Research Focus

• This research evaluates intersections of gender,
  identity, experience, trauma and performance by
  studying the personal impact of performing The
  Vagina Monologues.

4
Background

• V-Day Foundation
• V-Day Campaign
• Benefit Performances
• Anti-violence Platform
• Performance As Resistance
• Activism
• Healing

5
Methods Materials

• Ethnographic Questionnaire
• designed to reveal the personal
• impact of the performances
• distributed electronically via email
• Discourse Analysis
• examining the intersections of gender,
• trauma, identity and performance

6

• Age of Participants

7
Regional Diversity
8

• Ethnic Diversity

9
Sexual Orientation

10
Expanding the Archives of Trauma
11
Expanding the Archives of Trauma

• Trauma as a category that embraces a range of
  affects, including not just loss and mourning but
  also anger, shame, humor, sentimentality, and
  more.
• Ann Cvetkovich
• Archive of Feelings

12

• After being exposed to this work, has the way
  you view or approach your body changed?
• I became much more proud of being a woman. It
  is easy to become self-degrading about yourself,
  when you are continuously subjected to a barrage
  of women are less intelligent, women are
  affected by their hormones, etc. It is a very
  damaging environment. After performing in the
  Vagina Monologues, and seeing the pride these
  women took in their bodies, and their
  experiences, I was able to be proud of my body,
  even when society largely told me I should be
  ashamed of certain aspects.
• Participant 36, Question 4

13
Navigating Cultural Logics
14
Navigating Cultural Logics

• Identities are formed in response to the
  cultural logics of heteronormativity, white
  supremacy, and misogyny cultural logics that
  work to undergird state power.
• José Esteban Muñoz Disidentifications

15

• What are you political and/or personal
  motivations for being involved in the production?
• I believe the V-Day is a catalyst for
  change. It gives women and girls power and a
  place to combine and find their collective voice.
  It gives them the courage and support they need
  to stand up against the epidemic levels of
  violence and sexism. It reminds us that our
  bodies, vaginas, and sexuality are not to be
  ashamed of. It gives us the opportunity to share
  this idea with others and open up dialogue in our
  communities.
• Participant 67, Question 3

16
Conclusion

• Performing The Vagina Monologues has
• enabled young women to confront culturally
  induced internalized shame, secrecy and
  embarrassment surrounding their vaginas. Thus
  establishing a positive mind-body connection with
  their vaginas, resulting in an increase in their
  feelings of self-esteem.

17
Possibilities for Future Exploration

• Alternative communities
• Social and political activism
• Personal empowerment
• Religion
• Sexuality
• Phallic-centered society
• Public and private divide

18
Acknowledgements

• Survey participants
• Professor Juana María Rodríguez
• McNair Scholars Program
• Presidents Undergraduate Fellowship
• V-Day Foundation
• McNair Cohorts
• Eve Ensler
• The Original Vagina Warriors

19
Vaginal DiscourseReconnecting the Female Body
Through Performance

• Delaenya Stapleton
• McNair Scholars Program
• University of California, Davis
• Department of Women and Gender Studies
• Professor Juana María Rodríguez