THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES Comes to The Warner

The Susan B. Anthony Project, in conjunction with LoveArtPlay, will present Eve Ensler's THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES, on Friday, February 15 at 7:00 pm in the Warner's Nancy Marine Studio Theatre as a special fundraiser. An Obie Award-winning whirlwind tour of a forbidden zone, THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES introduces a wildly divergent gathering of female voices, including a six-year-old girl, a septuagenarian New Yorker, a vagina workshop participant, a woman who witnesses the birth of her granddaughter, a Bosnian survivor of rape, and a feminist happy to have found a man who liked to look at it. Ensler breaks taboos by talking, talking and talking some more - stripping fear and shame from what she celebrates here. It makes for quite a party. Funny, outrageous, emotionally affecting, and occasionally angry The Vagina Monologues confront words to demystify and disarm them. In so doing, Ensler disarms the audience too. Associated Press Spellbinding, funny, and almost unbearably moving Written with a bluntness that is nevertheless intensely lyrical, it is both a work of art and an incisive piece of cultural history, a poem and a polemic, a performance and a balm and a benediction. Variety

Founded in 1983, Susan B. Anthony Project promotes safety, healing and growth for all survivors of domestic and sexual abuse and advocates for the autonomy of women and the end of interpersonal violence. Based in Torrington, SBAP provides crisis and support services and prevention education in 20 towns in Litchfield County. All services are confidential, free, and available 24/7. LoveArtPlay is a non-profit 501c3 arts organization dedicated to promoting artistic projects undertaken principally by professionals in the visual and performing arts. LoveArtPlay supports artists to step out of their safety zones to explore and collaborate with other artists to find new ways in expressing individuality and originality. Founded on the belief that the arts can create a more positive and civil humanity, LoveArtPlay's mission is to raise funds through multi-disciplinary arts projects to provide safety, health, and educational and creative programs for women, men and children of all ages.

THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES is directed by Arlene Begelman and features Saun Ellis, Joanna Jung and Leland Williams. It is produced by LoveArtPlay with Susan B. Anthony Project. To purchase tickets, call the Warner Box Office at 860-489-7180 or visit warnertheatre.org.

Built by Warner Brothers Studios and opened in 1931 as a movie palace (1,772 seats), the Warner Theatre was described then as "Connecticut's Most Beautiful Theatre." Damaged extensively in a flood, the Warner was slated for demolition in the early 1980s until the non-profit Northwest Connecticut Association for the Arts (NCAA) was founded and purchased the theatre. The Warner reopened as a performing arts center in 1983, and restoration of the main lobbies and auditorium was completed in November 2002. In 2008, the new 50,000 square foot Carole and Ray Neag Performing Arts Center, which houses a 300 seat Studio Theatre, 200 seat restaurant and expansive school for the arts, was completed. Today, the Warner is in operation year-round with more than 160 performances and 100,000 patrons passing through its doors each season. Over 10,000 students, pre K-adult, participate in arts education programs and classes. Together, with the support of the community, the Warner has raised close to $17 million to revitalize its facilities. NCAA's mission is to preserve the Warner Theatre as an historic landmark, enhance its reputation as a center of artistic excellence and a focal point of community involvement, and satisfy the diverse cultural needs of the region.

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