Women First. Actors? Maybe.
Women cast for The Vagina Monologues generally audition because they believe in the cause, ending violence against women and girls using performance and creativity, with proceeds donated to local organizations supporting safe space for women and to the V-Day project worldwide. Most are not looking for acting gigs, per se, where they might pick up a few bucks and a new bona fide for their resume.
I got involved because a director I know told me I’d be great and would love doing it. That’s all I needed. Little did I know…
I learned a lot about my own acting ability. I didn’t feel like I was acting the part. I was being the part. Maybe that’s the key to acting.
After one of the shows last year, a gentleman touched my elbow to get my attention, which I gave him with a smile. The show had been such an exhilarating experience for us all. We were all smiling!
He told me he thought my acting was professional quality and he hoped to see me again on stage. And then he was gone. Did I hear right? Did I just wish that?
I think I saw him again after a performance in another theater. Once more, he complimented my work and disappeared.
Understand, please, that I am no sweet young woman. I’m 71 and married and pretty settled. Clearly not available. This man was authentically impressed with my acting talent. Not a stalker. Not just flirting. An admirer.
As hard as it has been, I must accept the compliment as a genuine appreciation of my acting talent. My self-esteem and confidence have grown immensely as a result of kind words from an unknown admirer.
The greatest benefit we as cast members get from participating in The Vagina Monologues is our interactions with audience members–their gratitude, their laughter, their tears, their memories. Come laugh and cry and remember with us. What comes after that is up to you.
“Through the mere act of creating something–anything–you might inadvertently produce work that is magnificent, eternal, or important.”
~Elizabeth Gilbert
Judy McCord, 1/18/2019
V-Day Raleigh 