Chelsea's Journey as a British Columbia Ambassador Candidate : My Experiences with V Day Oliver-Osoyoos and the Vagina Monologues

My Experiences with V Day and the Vagina Monologues

I first had heard about the Vagina Monologues from my fellow South Okanagan Amateur Players co-star from the Musical I was in this past fall - Nunset Boulevard. She was a producer for the Vagina Monologues and had worked on V Day Oliver-Osoyoos theatrical productions since the group first began in 2013 with their first production of the Vagina Monologues.

Just the word Vagina freaked me out and I had no CLUE what the Vagina Monologues were event about. After looking over the script I decided to go out to the December Auditions and read for my Short Skirt in particular because it was the piece that I felt most comfortable with.

The Audition process itself was fairly different from a typical SOAP Audition. It was a private session where I read for the Director And my friend (from SOAP) who was the producer. Where as in SOAP auditions you typically do a cold reading of the script in a board room setting where they have you read for multiple parts through out the audition. For example they would say okay you, you and you read for these parts up to Page or Line #... So it was fairly interesting to go through a different process all together.

From my understanding nearly everyone who read for a part was brought onto the 2015 Vagina Monologues cast. We began rehearsals late January and it wasn't a fully attended rehearsal however it was intimidating all the same. I had found out that a vast majority of the cast had been involved in the previous V Day Oliver-Osoyoos productions and most of them had been a part of the original VM cast and were doing monologues they had previously performed.

In the fall playing Sister Amnesia in SOAP's production of Nunset Boulevard was my first principal role with the group and since we had such a small cast (5 of us) and I very much the rookie I felt immense pressure to do my home work. I looked up everything I could find about the previous Nunset Musicals and did major amounts of script work.

This was a practice I carried onto the Vagina Monologues. I learned that they first started in 1996 when the playwright Eve Ensler spent time talking to and interviewing hundreds of women from all walks of life. The Vagina Monologues became the corner stone and spark that started the V Day Movement which is a Global Initiative to end violence against women whilst actively raising awareness around issues women face. So I found out that the Vagina Monologues and in Paticular the V Day group was about so much more than a simply putting on a Play.

I quickly became an active member of the local V Day group including attending Meetings & volunteering at the One Billion Rising Art show And auction fundraiser we hosted in March. I thrilled to have joined such a welcoming, supporting, and encouraging local organization. I was instantly welcomed into the cast and the group and was utterly awe inspired by how much enthusiasm, dedication, and over all motivation seen within the group and cast to ultimately showcase the Message of V Day which is to never stop raising awareness for violence against Women "Until the Violence stops."

Once I made the choice to officially enter the British Columbia Ambassador Program and represent my home town of Osoyoos as a candidate in the 2015 program Chelsea Cameron-Horner: British Columbia Ambassador Candidate 2015 I gained instant support from the group. And I was even recognized for my achievement at the last Rehearsal before our Stage rehearsals leading up to the show.

On April 7th we had the first of our on Stage Rehearsals and we endured the Tech Rehearsal. Tech is always a pretty interesting affair since it requires a lot of patience as well as concentration. This is because a tech rehearsal can go a number of ways sometimes they are only cue to cue while other times it's the full production. For the first part of the rehearsal we were basically running most of the play whilst our Sound & lighting people were experimenting with the Lights and music. After about the first hour we were asked to start again and go only cue to cue while lights and music was all sorted out and finalized.

The next day was our full dress rehearsal and we nailed it. I was fully dressed with hair & makeup and was even allowed to wear my banner to use it as an opportunity to have some extra stage practice. It actually really seemed to make a huge different to me personally as I seemed to take my time on stage more seriously. Which was a good thing because as a cast we were actually on stage the entire time and would have planned movements from seat to seat between monologues.

On the two nights of our Performance we were sort of sharing the space with a Pow Wow which was being held in the gym kiddie corner to the theatre. So during our actual performances they had little signs posted through out the Theatre and the gym space like the one below. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. The sound wasn't as loud as I had first estimated it would be. So I was quite happy about that. The only difficult challenge about the Pow Wow was that it meant we could not use the bathroom backstage as cast members since the exit door opened out into the area where the Pow Wow was being held.

I was actually given the opportunity to attend the Vagina Monologues as both a member of the group and cast as well as a British Columbia Ambassador Candidate. This invitation was also extended to Viveka Who is also a candidate from Osoyoos. So during the Friday and Saturday Night performances we had a little table set up and acted like Greeters standing by the door and welcoming people to the show. Viveka attended the friday night performance where we were able to present a donation to the Chair and Co Chair of the group.

Viveka and I have decided to use the opportunity as British Columbia Ambassador Program Candidates to give back to our community. We plan to do this by volunteering at events as well as spotlighting groups and local charities and giving small donations to them from money we raise during our fundraisers for the British Columbia Ambassador Program. Of course we will always focus on giving a vast majority of the money we raise back to the BCAP program and it in turns go back to us through scholarships and bursaries.

During the Friday night performance we didn't have an overly huge crowd but that is always nice because it can be intimidating to perform for the first time in front of large audiences. Viveka actually stayed and watched the show and she really enjoyed it and said it was "nothing like [She] Expected it to be." Which is always a nice thing to hear. After the show we as a cast went and interacted with the crowd where I once again joined Viveka wearing my Banner. Viveka and I were both super lucky because during the Friday night performance we each won a door prize donated by one of the 2015 V Day Beneficiaries the Okanagan Nation Emergency Transition House. I've already eaten the cookies & they were delicious!

During both of the performances there were booths set up by each of the different V Day 2015 Beneficiaries through out the lobby.

On Saturday night Viveka could not attend. However I'm happy to say that there were FAR more PEOPLE in attendance at that show!!! I figured well over 80 people were sitting in the audience during our performance. Once again when doors opened I hung around in the Lobby greeting people.

Hanging out by the front table as well as the table we set up for our British Columbia Ambassador posters.

During the Saturday night performance they announced the Winners of the 2015 V Day Raffle and one winner was even in attendance to be able to come up on stage to claim her prize. I feel that over all our Saturday night performance was Brilliant and I myself was the best during that show. I am truly happy to have taken part in the 2015 V Day Campaign and look forward to taking part in the 2016 V Day Oliver-Osoyoos Campaign. Here are some more photos of the show