UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Faculty and staff from the College of Arts and Architecture will present Eve Ensler’s groundbreaking play, "The Vagina Monologues," at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 18, in the Palmer Lipcon Auditorium at the Palmer Museum of Art. Admission is free.
The play is part of the Palmer Museum of Art’s Art After Hours Third Thursday programming for this month’s theme “I Am Woman.”
"The Vagina Monologues," an award-winning play about the complexities of women’s experience and sexuality, is celebrating its 20th anniversary. This will be Barbara Korner’s last theatrical performance before she retires as Dean of the College of Arts and Architecture on June 30. She recently performed in Penn State School of Theatre’s production of "To Kill A Mockingbird" and received a serenade from the rest of the cast and audience members after the last performance.
Many of the cast member of "The Vagina Monologues" have participated in Korner’s staff book club on respect and empathy, as well as her women’s leadership series, including the sponsors and coordinators of the production: Ann Clements, associate professor and the graduate program chair for music education; Laura Sullivan, marketing and communications director of the Center for the Performing Arts; and Stephanie Swindle Thomas, director of social media and visual assets for the College of Arts and Architecture.
“I lead a women’s writers group that includes staff members from the college, and "The Vagina Monologues" came up at one of our meetings,” said Thomas. “Having been in a cast at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, I mentioned how meaningful the experience was for me and said, ‘Let’s do it here. I’ll perform if you will.’”
Fellow members Erica Quinn, Sarah Anne Wharton, Nicole Cingolani and Kendall Mainzer agreed. Other staff and faculty participants include Robyn Krauss-Hale, Joyce Henri Robinson, Margaret Higgins, Erica Nodell, Amy Milgrub Marshall, Jennifer Curry Morgan, Carri Love and Amanda Ferg.
As part of the Palmer Museum of Art’s Third Thursday, the galleries of the museum will be open 6-9 p.m. for guests to discover works by women artists in the Palmer collection and participate in a scavenger hunt through the galleries, as well as enjoy art activities, green screen photo ops, refreshments and music — the student band Women’s National Hockey League will warm up for "The Vagina Monologues" in the Palmer Lipcon Auditorium. There also will be a gallery discussion at 7:45 p.m. by Megan Wanttie, doctoral candidate in art education, about “Women, Representation and the Arts.”
"The Vagina Monologues" performance is sponsored by the Center for Arts and Design Pedagogy in conjunction with the Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State’s #IAmWomanPSU season programming, celebrating and showcasing strong, talented women.
This performance is for adult audiences and will address explicit and sensitive content.
For more information about Palmer Museum of Art’s events, visit the website.