The annual production of The Vagina Monologues took place in the theater of Gordon Wilson Hall yesterday to raise money to end violence against women, according to the director of gender and women’s studies.

Kristi Branham, director of Gender and Women’s Studies, said the event raised $770 in ticket sales to be donated to Hope Harbor, a local sexual trauma recovery center, and the V-Day organization, a global activist movement to end violence against all women and girls.

“The Vagina Monologues” is a an episodic play written by Eve Ensler, according to Ensler’s website. The production features several monologues from different female perspectives, including a six-year-old girl, a transgender woman and a survivor of sexual assault. Themes range from seeing one’s vagina for the first time to witnessing a vaginal birth.

“People struggle with saying the word ‘vagina’, so that’s kind of the problem this play is addressing,” Branham said. “It’s about valuing women and women’s experiences.”

Co-director and Louisville senior Breanna Carter said “The Vagina Monologues” give women a safe space to discuss difficult subjects.

“The fact that it is [presented] in a very artistic way allows women to talk about very serious topics like sexual assault,” Carter said.

Carter said she worked with fellow senior Alyssa Javier to put on the production. Branham said WKU has put on a production of “The Vagina Monologues” annually for over 10 years.

“Talking about sex is so taboo,” said Lance Hahn, an associate professor in the psychological sciences department who attended the production. “It’s nice to break that down and have open discussions, so this is kind of a big way to do that.”

Fort Campbell sophomore Tyler Hardy said she decided to perform a piece after attending the monologues last year.

“It really caught my attention because of how uncomfortable it made me when they openly discussed vaginas,” Hardy said. “Yet, as the show went on, I had more fun with a topic that was so taboo.”

Hardy said the monologues creates an important platform for women’s sexuality.

“It’s usually a topic that is meant to be quiet,” Hardy said. “Yet, instead of keeping it on the down low, we are deciding to yell from the top of our lungs about [vaginas] because we all should. We all came from one.”

Correction: A previous version of this article said Lance Hahn was an associate professor in the psychology department. He is an associate professor in the department of psychological sciences. The Herald regrets the error.

News reporter Amelia Hicks can be reached at 270-745-6011 and [email protected]. Follow Amelia on Twitter at @ameliahicks852.