Creation Redemption Revelation

So this weekend was our V-weekend- The Vagina Monologues on Thursday night, Shabbat lunch and text study on Ashet Chayil on Saturday afternoon, another performance on Saturday night and a lunch and learn with Nehama from the Religious Women's Crisis Center on Monday.

It's been quite a week for those involved in the show, especially those on the "other side"- aka production. As one of the two "producers," it was my job to make sure that all of the non-directorial elements of the show went smoothly including the set, programs, seating arrangement, tables for intermission etc.

To be honest, as much as I loved it, it was a hell of a lot of work. I was at school on Monday night from 6:30-10:30pm, Tuesday from 4:15-7pm, Wednesday night from 6:30-10pm, Thursday night from 1:30-5 and 6-11 and Saturday night from 6-10. Woosh. I felt (and am still feeling) a little frustrated at some of the women I worked with-- no names, but one person in particular who never said thank you for the immense amounts of time I put into the programs, specifically. They were a huge job-- and I just felt kind of unappreciated. Oh well. Such is life. I was proud of me, and I guess that will have to be enough.

And although the pre-show stuff was kind of annoying and stressful, the shows themselves went off without a hitch. Everyone was amazing- I was in three monologues, one of which, I got assigned a week before the show because one of our actresses had to go home suddenly. It was entitled "My Short Skirt" and is one woman's post-angry response to the idea that wearing a "short skirt" means that a woman is interested in sex, money, is looking to be raped, or is overcompensating for something else. It's an emotionally charged monologue- I don't really know how I feel about it-- especially because I'm not sure I totally agree with it. You see, I think there is a connection between how someone dresses and what kind of message they are giving off-- ESPECIALLY in positions of power/authority ie. the Rabbinate.

I am waiting to get Mel's pictures that she took during the show, but then you'll be able to see
how I was dressed...short skirt...boots...high ponytail- totally not me. But it was kind of nice to not be me for 2 1/2 minutes.

On Monday, after the lunch and learn with Nehama from the Religious Women's Crisis Center we presented her with our total fundraising amounts...drum roll please...

We raised a total of 14,097.30 NIS ($2997.41)

12,687.50 NIS ($2697.17) to the Women's Crisis Center here in Jerusalem

And 1,409.80 NIS ($300.24) to the VDAY spotlight campaign, Comfort Women.

That means that our small campus of only around 100 students raised half of the VDAY fundraising goal for large college campuses across America- in other words, we totally rock.

After the show was over I couldn't help but breathe a HUGE sigh of relief- this project has really consumed the last month of my life and I am excited to return to some normalcy.

I'll leave you with some words from my Vagina Monologues experience.
"My short skirt is happiness- I can feel myself on the ground- I am here... i am hot..."