Customer Reviews

The Vagina Monologues

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Eve Ensler produced, wrote, and performed "The Vagina Monologues" that debuted in 1996. Since then, this off-Broadway one-person play has since been featured in many parts of the world. Her words give women the power to be more open about their vaginas, an organ that some unfortunately call taboo to express. This fearless performer offers humor, wit, and serious to certain issues, all in the correct areas. She gives new meaning to issues beyond the vagina with more than just her words. Her vocal expressions empower them tremendously. She also expresses great pride to the female orgasm, masturbation, lesbianism, and reclaiming certain offensive words. Amazingly, she performs the entire piece sitting down. Most performers don't do that.

Each individual monologue tells its individual story beautifully and expressively. The featured interviews give multiple perspectives to each issue. Whether they are humorous (looking "down there", sex, orgasmic sounds) or touching (rape, witnessing birth), all have the empowering impact that forces audiences to look beyond themselves. Therefore, "The Vagina Monologues" is recommended for everyone. Though nothing beats the live experience, this DVD recollects this piece beautifully. This will surely be an unforgettable and educating experience for many.

Having enjoyed the book, I decided to get the DVD. Eve Ensler follows the storyline of her book (The Vagina Monologues) to a tee. She tells each story exactly as the interviewee had told her, mimicking the voice and emotion so well that she became the interviewee. Between each segment of the onstage performance, there were video clips of the women Ensler had interviewed. They were women of all ages and varying ethnicities.

This was a neat show to watch. The frankness of the subject made me uncomfortable at first. But as the show progressed, I began to relate to these women on several levels. I felt joy, disgust, pain, and awe as Ensler told these stories. She has a great stage presence.

The Vagina Monologues isn't about vaginas per se, but about femininity and the taboos and myths that surround it. I recommend this DVD and the book to every woman, no matter what age.

Eve Ensler is such an amazing woman! THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES is such a powerful, provocative, sensitive, wonderfully written, funny, moving, empowering, inspiring, and most importantly, an honest piece. It has come a long way from her one-woman show -- it has become the cornerstone of world-wide campaign to fight and end violence against women!!!

I've seen at least 30 live performances of the show -- and I must admit that it is really better seeing it live (preferably in an intimate venue) -- but seeing Eve Ensler herself deliver the piece is an altogether different experience! You realize that SHE personally interviewed these women whose stories are told through these monologues... and that just touches your soul in some deeper way.

If you haven't seen this show and there's one showing near your area -- I strongly encourage you to go see it (and this is for both women and men alike). Then go and get yourself a copy of this DVD!

Viva Vagina!!! =)

You've never seen anything like Eve Ensler's VAGINA MONOLOGUES. I didn't see a live performance by any of the cadre of actresses that performed it live in Los Angeles. I did, however, view the DVD and was impressed and enlightened with the bold, frank, and often funny monologues by Ensler on this part of the female anatomy. These monolgues were filmed at several of Ensler's live performances. The attributes of the monologues also apply to Ensler's inverviews of many women on the subject, which are also in the DVD. I was so impressed after my first viewing of this DVD that I went out and bought it. As I plan to view Ensler's performance on DVD many times, of course I didn't want to keep paying the rental fees!

Though some may be phased by the title of this play, alone, that shouldn't stop them from watching this series of monologues, brought from "Off Off Broadway" to the big screen. Eve Enders, the woman who brings the stories to the stage, is charismatic, funny and quasi-tragic all in the same breath. Though, the theory of this play is based on the vagina (a part of the female anatomy, deemed unspeakable in "polite" conversation), it is about so much more. Enders touches on many subjects that deal with women, identity, relationships and sexuality. While some of the stories are about sexual awakening and self discovery, others deal with exploitation, rape and abuse. Enders based these monologues on (literally) hundreds of interviews she conducted with women, nationally and internationally. The topics range from lesbianism to childbirth.

Though, this play has some strong language and the subject matter probably wouldn't be appropriate for young children, I think that women, young and old, should watch this together. Not only does it bring down walls and barriers in open discussion, pertaining to womens' sexual and gender identity, it also sheds new light on women's struggle for liberation and expression. I commend Eve Enders for her great performance, and sensitive, honest and unabashedly bold approach to the subject matter and cautionary nature of her topic(s).

I was involved in the stage version of this DVD and I was moved by how much we, as a cast, found ourselves through the show's progress. I got to know a lot of different types of women; lesbians, straight women, older women, younger women, and women of all different backgrounds. For those men in our lives who have treated us well, we learned to appreciate them even more... and for those who have and/or will have treated us badly we became more angry and willing to fight the abuse. We became Vagina Warriors and together we fought for the right to be a women... a right that some women don't have. We learned how to be proud of who we are, but more importantly we learned to find ourselves... and love the person we found inside. Our directors were men and so they were brought into our crazy rantings, but also became Vagina Warriors with us. Thank God for Eve Ensler. She has made us proud to be women again and not scared of who we were born to be.

I found the Vagina Monologues to be very well written and presented.The artist did an excellent job and covered all ages.
There's nothing much more I can say, except buy the DVD and see for yourself.Worth every bit of 5 stars.
thanks
Dennis Youse

For those who want to know...want to know about what (other) women think in the realm of sexuality, how they feel and what they say, this HBO special is more than a pleasant surprise. Because of the format in which the stories and interviews are told, The Vagina Monologues make the subject of sex, and in particular the vagina, comfortable (for the most part) to talk about. It is funny, breathtaking, and a little outrageous, but altogether worth watching if you are looking for something different! Eve Ensler is an amazing actress, and the way in which she portays her interview subjects in her monologues is hilarious. If you are extemely modest, viewing alone may be proper; if you are not, maybe you could watch it with a girl friend or your significant other. Altogether, this is worth watching not just because it is a milestone in a feminist respect, but because it is a milestone in the movement of the individual female's self-esteem about her vagina- her essence of sexuality. No, I did not become more feminist for watching this, but I was quite overtaken by some of the beautiful aspects of the female soul that are portrayed in the monolgues. Ensler touches on the subjects of self-esteem about the vagina and sex, funny personal stories, orgasm, rape, and also the amazing sacrifices that the female soul (the vagina) can give during childbirth. Ensler's purpose? To heal, to acknowledge sacrifice, and to make us love ourselves fully by reclaiming the vagina as the female soul for all of femininity.

HBO should have just captured the live show in its entirety instead of filming those cheesy fourth wall breaking interstitials with the writer. I fast forwarded through 25% of the DVD and just watched the monologues.

I saw this when in London with Lorretta Swit in it. I had never heard of the play before that so I had no clue what I was getting into. The house was packed to the rafters.

You know the usual I laughed I cried ? well I did as well as got angry , felt disgusted , moved but most of all educated and empowered.

this should be mandatory viewing for all women and men who actually love them.