I first came in touch with The Vagina Monologues during my exchange in Wellesley College. I attended the show without knowing what to expect but after the performance, I was completely overwhelmed. The brilliant acting of my fellow classmates amazed me. The powerful messages and vivid imagery moved me. But the one thing that kept me very unsettled the next few days was the assertiveness and casualness demonstrated by the crowd when they pronounced the word 'vagina'. One question kept recurring: Would VM have the same effect and impact in Hong Kong - a crossroad between the forward-thinking West and the innately conservative East?

 

I decided to stage it and find out the answers myself. I am glad to be able to gather eleven passionate and driven friends to embark this bold journey with me. I do not know what will lie ahead of us and how the coming months will unfold, but I am ready for any kind of response, whether good or bad. Each response reflects a facet of our own culture and I am more than excited to examine the embedded social meanings and to spark meaningful conversations with people who care about gender issues.

 

 

From Eshan Chan, Director