For seven actresses and two sold-out audiences, the meaning of the "V" word turned their cheeks pink. For a riotous hour and a half, the meaning of the word vagina circumnavigated the globe.

"The Vagina Monologues," Eve Ensler’s award-winning play, drew in large audiences for a good cause. Two sold-out performances in Yeager Recital Hall Feb. 10 and 11 were part of College Campaign, a program dedicated to stopping violence against women and girls coordinated by the V-Day organization.

V-Day’s efforts started five years ago, marking Valentine’s Day as a day of action. It has slowly evolved into a 12-week calendar of events starting every January.

In the play, the vagina took the audience as its confidant. It was angry, lonely and even described itself as an "anatomical vacuum randomly sucking in things from the surrounding environment."

"If my vagina could talk—two words—slow down," freshman Lexi Apostolou read.

Audiences only dream of laughing this loudly at a live performance.

The monologues, based on Ensler’s interviews, were read by seven female Elon students who used numerous accents to convey the identities of women around the world.

The audience burst out with such raucous laughter that lines delivered after the punchlines were most often inaudible. But it did not matter.

The palpable bond between female audience members was cemented by their united laughter at some of life’s most trivial and embarrassing moments. These light but effective vignettes were complemented by stories that told of deeper, heavier sorrows such as female genital mutilation, to which more than 130 million females have been subjected worldwide.

An arrangement of four of the actresses also presented a powerful piece that said in part, "My short skirt, believe it or not, has nothing to do with you."

Sophomore Charmain Cale, who read several monologues, was initially hesitant about the script.

"I wasn’t sure if I could get onstage and say these words, but it makes you so much more comfortable," Cale said. "Vagina—it’s not a big deal."

Ensler’s play is being performed in more than 200 cities worldwide, as well as several local universities (see www.vday.org for dates).

"Eve Ensler could make a lot of money by selling her play, but she’s letting people use it out of the goodness of her heart," said faculty sponsor Mary Jo Festle.

Director and College Campaign coordinator Anne Corbitt, sophomore, is pleased with the interest in the play.

"The most important thing it brings is conversation," Corbitt said. "You can’t solve a problem without talking about it."

The performances raised $1,144.74, which far-exceeded Corbitt’s $500 goal. The money will go to Crossroads Sexual Assault Response and Resource Center in Burlington.

"I’m hoping to see it ease a lot of their problems," Corbitt said. "I want to know that what we did is going to make a woman’s life better."