Students and faculty alike are auditioning for La Mesa College production of “The Vagina Monologues,” directed by Vanessa Duron. The auditions held on campus were bilingual, giving the auditioners a chance to present their auditions in English, Spanish, or both.  

According to Vday.org, “The Vagina Monologues” was written in 1994 by activist Eve Ensler. The play consists of interviews conducted by Eve Ensler, which shares the silenced stories of women in order to highlight the impact of violence and abuse towards women.

One of the people who auditioned was 21-year-old English major, Lizeth De La Luz. During an interview, De La Luz mentioned that she heard of the audition being held from one of her professors. Prior to auditioning in San Diego, she has been a part of two other productions of “The Vagina Monologues.” Her inspiration behind auditioning once again was her career as a writer, seeing the importance of talking about subjects that are often overlooked. With that said, she wished to be a part of “The Vagina Monologues” as she views the play to be “very empowering and educational (to its audience). It talks about the abuse that’s happening and the calling to attention,” she said.

When De La Luz first thought of auditioning, she originally intended to audition in English. However, after being encouraged, she later agreed to audition in Spanish. The topic of abuse towards women is still considered taboo within minority communities and is something that De La Luz wishes to change. “(Being a minority) there are a lot of topics that aren’t talked about within Hispanic people … We need to talk about this!”

With the ongoing feminist movements, such as #MeToo, she emphasizes the importance of plays like “The Vagina Monologues.” She believes that exposure to these topics will allow them to no longer be taboo and will soon be accepted as a cruel reality that will lead many to help find a solution within their communities. De La Luz shares that these movements “are so important and still need more recognition and a lot more attention to be called to them … Even now, they are still being dismissed by different kinds of people and I think if we spread the word more about these things it’ll be a lot easier for people to accept what is happening.”

After following up with De La Luz, she revealed that she was officially casted into the show. To see more of De La Luz, make sure to watch “The Vagina Monologues!”

“The Vagina Monologues” performance will take place on Thursday, March 21, at 4 p.m. in the Apolliad Theater on campus. To purchase tickets, head over to the Apolliad Theater box office. All profits made from the production will be distributed to non-profit organizations to help end the violence, abuse, and human trafficking of women.