image0021Katha Ghera, a Kathmandu-based theatre group, is presenting an interpretation of “The Vagina Monologues”—“Yonika Kathaharu” at Trisara, Lazimpat, on March 8. The show, organised to mark the International Women’s Days, aims to raise funds with which the group will hold Playback Theatre performances. The Vagina Monologues, written by Eve Ensler and first performed in 1996 at the Off-Broadway Westside Theatre, is today performed in more than 140 countries as part of a global movement. The play brings to light the real stories of women recounting experiences ranging from celebrating identities to confronting harassment and abuse. This is the second year that the show is being organised in Nepal. The monologues were based on a story of women from different parts of the world. It was presented by a diverse group of women, with no acting background. These women shared stories and realities of women’s bodies, vagina, sex, gender identity, sexuality and of love and violence against women. Dressed in black and red, women of different ages shared stories with perfect expression, and its bitter reality compelled the audience to break into laughter. The monologues reflected on important matter of our society. Women in our society are hushed when they talk about their sexuality and this doesn’t help to eradicate violence against them. The facts presented between the monologues filled the audience’s eyes with tears and bowed their head with shame and guilt. Although the choice of words might seem a bit hard to digest, it is necessary to normalize to talk about vaginas and women’s sexuality to prevent the evils that women in different parts of the world have been facing. The combination of the dim lights and the dark colored stage and the heavy words spoken by the brave women encouraged everyone in the audience to be bold and fierce to speak out against stigma revolving around women’s sexuality and social construct of the ‘vagina’. “The performance we did last year comprised of these monologues which had been adapted into Nepali for the very first time. This year, we are committed to perform the pieces again and are careful to maintain a balance of both English and Nepali languages so that we can reach out to as many people as we can.” said Akanchha Karki The tickets for the play, slated to kick off at 7 in the evening, are priced at Rs 2,000, inclusive of snacks, dinner and a live band performance after the show.