Word 'Vagina' Returns To Fla. Marquee Despite Complaints
POSTED: Friday, February 9, 2007
UPDATED: 9:31 am EST February 9,
2007
ATLANTIC BEACH, Fla. -- A theater's marquee was modified twice this week after controversy over the title of an upcoming play, according to reports.
On Tuesday, an Atlantic Beach theater and comedy club altered one of the titles on its marquee, which lists the titles of several oncoming events. The theater replaced the word "vagina" in the play titled The Vagina Monologues to "hoohaa" after a woman called and complained about being offended, WJXT-TV reported.
"We got a complaint about this play The Vagina Monologues. I'm on the phone and asked 'What did you tell her?' She's like, 'I'm offended I had to answer the question,'" said Bryce Pfanenstiel, of the Atlantic Theater. "We decided we would just use child slang for it. That's how we decided on Hoohaa Monologues."
Two days later, The Hoohaa Monologues was restored to its original title -- The Vagina Monologues -- after the play's organizers demanded it be changed back.
The organizers are a group of Florida Coastal School of Law students who said the sign had to read the play's original title because they have rights to the well-known play only if they do not allow any censorship of its content.
"We are not allowed to censor anything because the whole play is about being a woman, about telling certain women's stories. Vagina is the essence of a woman, and if you're going to suppress the name, then you're suppressing us as women," said play organizer Elissa Saavedra.
The Vagina Monologues is for charity. All of the proceeds from the play, which opens on Feb. 15, will go to charity.
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