CLARKSVILLE, TN – “Funny, outrageous, emotionally affecting and occasionally angry,” Eve Ensler’s wildly popular series of monologues about women and performed by women is back for the 20th year with the Roxy Regional Theatre’s annual presentation of The Vagina Monologues, Jan. 13-21.
Directed by Melissa Schaffner, chief of the NAF Support Division at Fort Campbell MWR, and produced by Ryan Bowie, this year’s presentation is dedicated to the memory of Jill Eichhorn, a longtime supporter of and frequent performer in the Roxy’s production of The Vagina Monologues. Coordinator of the Women’s and Gender Studies program at Austin Peay State University for 20 years, Jill was an educator, activist, advocate for social justice, and a beacon in our community, whose work with The Vagina Monologues at the Roxy and APSU helped to demystify women’s sexuality and raise more than $20,000 for Clarksville’s Sexual Assault Center, the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee, and the Urban Ministries SafeHouse.
This year, eight local ladies will take the stage of theotherspace, the 50-seat black box theatre located upstairs at the Roxy, in readings of these monologues based on interviews Eve Ensler conducted with 200 women about their views on sex, relationships and violence against women.
The first weekend of performances will feature Juanita Charles, founder of Manifest Magic Black Girl Cooperative; Kate Gauf, director of operations at D&D Companies, Inc.; and Regina Maloney, marketing manager at Fort Campbell MWR; alongside Roxy veteran Faith Konty.
Gracing the stage during the second weekend of performances will be domestic engineer Jennifer Workman, local artist Kris Lee, and Montgomery County Commissioner Dr. Rashidah Leverett, alongside Roxy veteran Emily Ruck.
On Sunday, January 22, at 2pm, all cast members will participate in a 20th Anniversary Brunch featuring brunch favorites by Nicoletta’s Catering and a mimosa bar, followed by a special mainstage performance of The Vagina Monologues. Tickets (including brunch and the show) are $50, and the reservation deadline is Monday, Jan. 16.
The Vagina Monologues is presented in theotherspace, the 50-seat black-box theatre located upstairs at the Roxy, and plays at 7 pm for five nights only: Jan. 13, 14, 19, 20 and 21. Due to language and content, this production is recommended for mature audiences only.
Tickets are $30 and may be reserved online at www.roxyregionaltheatre.org, by phone at (931) 645-7699, or at the theatre during regular box office hours (9:00am to 5:00pm, Monday through Friday, and one hour prior to curtain). In keeping with the theatre’s pay-what-you-can opening night tradition, all tickets not pre-sold at the regular price will go on sale at 6:30pm on Friday, January 13, for a $5 minimum donation. Austin Peay State University students can take advantage of $10 APSU Student Rush tickets, available at the door ten minutes prior to all performances.