Vagina Monologues will be performed this weekend in Spanish and English

Two women who have never met are performing in this year’s bilingual production of “The Vagina Monologues” for the same reason: to encourage women to embrace their bodies.

“Don’t be afraid to say the word ‘vagina’ anymore!” said junior Ashleigh Curry, the narrator in the English production of Eve Ensler’s famous play.

The show is a series of monologues based on anonymous interviews conducted by Ensler in the 1990s.

Curry said she had never seen the show before she decided to audition for it in November.

“When I saw the call for auditions, I was like, ‘What better way to go see it than to be in it and perform?’” Curry said.

Freshman Laura Brache said she decided to audition for “Los Monologos de la Vagina” — the Spanish version of the show — because she was enticed by the play’s controversial content.

“It sounds like it’s specifically about Latinas and it is, but it’s also a symbol for female awareness and recognizing our value,” said Brache, who will be introducing the show and performing a Spanish monologue called, “Porque le gustaba verla,” or, “Because he liked to look at it.”

Both Curry and Brache will have their acting debut in this weekend’s performances of “The Vagina Monologues,” which will be performed Saturday and Sunday.

Because of inclement weather and UNC canceling classes, both Spanish and English shows Friday night have been canceled.

After the first bilingual production of “The Vagina Monologues” debuted on campus last year, performance host V-Day Carolina tried to expand awareness for this year’s show into the Hispanic community by reaching out to student organization Carolina Hispanic Association (CHispA), sponsors for the Spanish show.

Junior Veronica Trujillo-Cuadrado, the liason between CHispA and “The Vagina Monologues,” said she was in charge of finding volunteers, rehearsal space and getting more CHispA members involved with the play.

“We’re been focusing more with the Spanish cast because ‘Los Monologos’ required a Spanish sponsor on campus,” she said.

Curry said she didn’t really understand the message of the show before seeing her cast-mates go through their own monologues, and before auditioning she never imagined herself in a show like this.

“We forget about the vagina — all of us — but ‘The Vagina Monologues’ has a way of putting it up in your face,” she said.

Brache, who moved with her family from the Dominican Republic three years ago, said doing the show in Spanish is especially important to her as a member of the Hispanic community.

Based on her personal experience, Brache said women in the Hispanic community tend to be repressed and the characters in this play can relate to the cultural norms of Latin America.

“The entire play is much more controversial to a Hispanic community versus the U.S., where these topics aren’t as taboo,” Brache said.

“In some countries or cities, you might get sent to jail for talking about these things.”

Although Brache said the Hispanic community at UNC is fairly small, Latinos on campus and especially CHispA members are striving to see more than what they are used to in their countries.

“Most of us are Carolina Firsts, or first generation college students,” Brache said. “We are trying to go beyond what the Hispanic patriarchy has taught us, and I’m doing that through ‘The Vagina Monologues.’”

arts@dailytarheel.com