Catholic Colleges & V-Day Dialogues

A good article about the questions surrounding the staging of Eve Ensler's play at Catholic Colleges:

At Catholic Colleges, 'Vagina' Dialogues

By TOM COYNE
Associated Press Writer
February 9, 2006, 2:14 PM EST

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Kerry Walsh knew there'd be talk when a group of students proposed putting on "The Vagina Monologues" at the University of Notre Dame.

The Eve Ensler play, based on discussions with 200 girls and women about their feelings for their anatomy, includes sections about homosexuality, orgasms and rape.

"I knew from the get-go there was going to be some point where the university or someone would put their foot down and say, 'We really need to talk about this,'" said Walsh, who was a senior English major when she directed the play.

Four years later, that time has come.

The Rev. John Jenkins, Notre Dame's president, announced last month he was scaling back the play this year -- limiting it to a classroom setting and barring ticket sales. He is seeking input from students, faculty and alumni on whether it and another controversial event, previously called The Queer Film Festival, should be allowed at all.

It's a discussion more Catholic universities are having as "The Vagina Monologues" becomes a seemingly unsolvable dilemma for the schools. Allow the performance and they are criticized for going against church teachings. Ban the play and they're accused of stifling academic freedom.

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