(This letter was originally written to the Off The Beaten Path committee as a response to the recent staging here of the Vagina Monologues.)
I ATTENDED the recent Vagina Monologues production. A few male friends and I went together and we sat in the front row on Saturday night. The cast members read from note cards to remind the audience that the script is not fiction, that actually someone spoke those words in an interview. This powerful theme was a major point missed by many people.
While the show was at times vulgar, it was mostly funny and the skits were obviously all chosen for a reason. There was a definite focus on female empowerment and what I thought were some extreme examples of life for women in today’s world. It was food for thought to the Nth-degree and my friends and I gave it a thumbs’ up overall.
Reina Camacho’s piece about the violently abused Native American woman was very powerful and well applied to the CNMI, as there are a lot of women here who must go through similar experiences of being brutally beaten by their boyfriends or husbands. This is simply not right. It was disturbing to see her performance and consider how many undocumented cases must go without notice each year. It is sad to really consider the reality that very few people are working toward ending this worst kind of violence which takes place at home. People who do work with battered women and families sometimes absorb negative reputations just by association.
Growing up in the CNMI, I have encountered degrading speech and action against women who I am inclined to respect and even admire. As a man I feel sad to know that some guys feel that they have to dominate instead of protect and appreciate our mothers and sisters. I agree with the overall goal of the Monologues productions, and I applaud OBP, Connecting Families, and Guma Esperansa for being involved.

ROBERT JORDAN
Mt. Tapochao, Saipan