Women aren’t the only ones who have stories of courageous, bold or brazen acts.

To incorporate more men into their programs, last year the Grand Valley State University Women’s Center switched its yearly productions from “The Vagina Monologues,” to the play “That Takes Ovaries!: Bold Women, Brazen Acts.”

GVSU student Dmitri Westbrook was one of the men to join last year as an activist, which allowed him to combine his passions for theatre and activism.

But including men was only one reason for switching plays, said Brittany Dernberger, associate director of the Women’s Center. The new production includes submitted stories from community members.

About half of this year’s scenes are from the GVSU campus and community, while the rest come from the “That Takes Ovaries!: Bold Women, Brazen Acts” book by Rivka Solomon.

While Westbrook is an activist again this year, he also submitted his own story. He submitted it to help shift the spotlight to men, more than women.

“I think it would be great to actually incorporate the real experiences of men and how they have also advocated for the rights of women, and it’s also to just shine some positive light into men that have very positive roles in society,” Westbrook said. “A lot of the time, with productions like these, we focus on women – which isn’t a problem – who have created difference, but we cannot forget about men that have also created a great difference.”
Because there is a mixture of submitted stories, the play covers a range of different emotions.

“It’s true stories, and I think they should also expect that there’s some light-hearted, fun ones and then also some more serious ones,” Dernberger said.

After both performances, March 22 and 23, Dernberger, along with a counselor from the counseling center, will hold a debriefing discussion “for people who want to stay and have a dialogue about what they heard or saw, or just want to talk more about the topics that are brought up in ‘That Takes Ovaries!’,” Dernberger said.

A counselor will also be available during the performances, Dernberger said, for anyone who might feel uncomfortable about any of the subjects.

Dionna Cheatham, the “That Takes Ovaries!” education chair, hopes audiences will leave the show with a better understanding of gender justice.

“The main thing that I want, and I think that we all want from the show, is for everyone to be aware about gender justice and what that means,” Cheatham said.

Being an activist doesn’t necessarily mean doing something big, said Anna Bennett, GVSU alumna, who submitted a story about trying out for the men’s football team in high school.

“I think it’s really important for all of us to understand that activism doesn’t have to be something big and dramatic and in your face, like leading a rally or a protest or something, or doing something that gets you arrested, you know,” Bennett said. “Like you can be an activist just by saying no to the status quo and that by recognizing that there’s a problem in society.”

Both performances begin at 7 p.m., with the March 22 performance in the Grand River Room inside the Kirkhof Center, and the March 23 performance at the Wealthy Theatre. Tickets are $10 for students, $15 for non-students in advance and increase by $5 at the door.

For more information on the performances, or to find ticket office locations, go to gvsu.edu/women_cen.

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