You will laugh, you will cry and you will leave with a greater appreciation for powerful women and their stories.
All of this, plus support of local women and children facing violence, is taking the stage in Vernon for V-Day 2019, Thursday, Feb. 28 at 7:30 p.m.
See: V is for victory
The Vagina Monologues will see local ladies in the spotlight at the Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre. The show is almost sold out, with tickets available through the Ticket Seller.
V-Day 2019 is a fundraising event benefiting the Vernon Women’s Transition House Society. Directed by Tanya Laing Gahr, whose production of Calendar Girls won the covetous title of Best Production at the Theatre BC Okanagan Zone Festival (Ozone) competition. This staging of the Vagina Monologues promises to be a funny, touching, challenging and ultimately empowering show featuring a diverse cast of local women - some actors and some activists.
While the show is sure to leave an impact, the resulting support for local women will be even more powerful.
“People don’t realize the extent that these incidents and crimes take place,” said Sherry Demetrick, Vernon Women’s Transition House Society.
Almost always at its capacity of 25, the Vernon Transition House is just one area of support, but the society’s work extends far beyond the doors of the safe home.
“Our Transition House is our marquee that everybody knows about but we also have 16 other programs throughout the community,” said Demetrick, noting that last year the house saw 177 women with 91 children.
Like the Community Based Victims Services program at the courthouse which currently has 421 open files and sees an average of 50 clients a month. Or the Child and Youth Advocacy Centre which has seen on average 350 kids in the last two years. Then there’s the Homelessness Prevention Program which is currently working with 30 women at risk of homelessness, plus there is a wait list.
“Most people do not know the breadth of services we provide,” said Demetrick, who like the rest of the staff, is very passionate about about the work they do.
The Vagina Monologues recognizes this invaluable work, which is why 90 per cent of all proceeds from the show will benefit the society. The remaining 10 per cent supports the VDay Spotlight Campaign: Women in Prison, Detention Centres and Formerly Incarcerated Women.
Twenty years since Eve Ensler’s play The Vagina Monologues shattered taboos, the stakes could not be higher. V-Day is a movement that grew out of the untold stories of women. We believe women. We believe in their right to tell their stories and we believe their stories need to be heard - nothing is more powerful.
V-Day is a global activist movement to end violence against women and girls. V-Day is a catalyst that promotes creative events to increase awareness, raise money, and revitalize the spirit of existing anti-violence organizations. V-Day generates broader attention for the fight to stop violence against women and girls, including rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation (FGM), and sex slavery. Learn more at vday.org
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jennifer@vernonmorningstar.com
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