HOLLYWOOD ACTRESSES SHOW WOMAN POWER
FOR VDAY 2005 WORLD WIDE CAMPAIGN
WITH ONE NIGHT ONLY PERFORMANCE OF
VAGINA MONOLOGUES

MO’NIQUE, MARLA GIBBS, TRACEE ELLIS ROSS, WENDY RAQUEL ROBINSON AND GABRIELLE UNION AMONG THE PERFORMANCE ENSEMBLE

PENNY MARSHALL TO DIRECT

(Los Angeles, CA) Woman power will echo long and loud during Woman’s Herstory Month this March when the industry’s top actresses join forces to raise monies and recognition for the 2005 Worldwide V-Day Campaign to end violence against women.

Mo’Nique, Marla Gibbs, Tracee Ellis Ross, Amy Brenneman, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Laura Leighton, Gabrielle Union, Jillian Barberie, Denise Dowse, Erika Alexander and Sommore are just a sample of the powerhouse of talent scheduled to perform in a one night only staging of Eve Ensler’s “Vagina Monologues”! Directed by Hollywood heavy hitter, Penny Marshall, the Obie Award winning production will be an evening not to be missed !

The show will take place at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre on Thursday, March 17 at 7:30 PM. The benefit performance will honor local Vagina Warrior organization, The HerShe Group. Tickets are $35.00 - $65.00 and will be will be available at www.vdayla.org .

Hailed by The New York Times as "funny" and "poignant" and by The Daily News as "intelligent" and "courageous," The Vagina Monologues delves into the mystery, humor, pain, power, wisdom, outrage, and excitement buried in women's experiences.

The 2005 Worldwide V-Day Campaign consists of over 1100 cities around the world joining forces to raise funds and awareness to end violence against women. From Los Angeles to London to Cairo, V-Day benefits celebrate the work of local Vagina Warriors, women and men working toward ending violence against women at the community level.

V-Day’s founder/playwright Eve Ensler coined the phrase “Vagina Warriors” in 2004 to describe the women and men she has encountered working to end violence against women and girls worldwide. V-Day Los Angeles will honor three local Vagina Warriors, and highlight the work they are doing in our community. Approximately 1.5 million women are raped or physically assaulted by an intimate partner each year in
the US. Because many victims are victimized more than once,
approximately 4.8 intimate partner rapes and physical assaults against women are committed annually.

This benefit production will be made possible by the generous support of local sponsors. Proceeds will be donated to the 2005 V-Day Worldwide Campaign, Woman of Iraq: Under Siege, and The HerShe Group. The HerShe Group is a local non-profit that serves emancipated female foster youth. Nearly half of all children who enter the foster care system enter due to sexual or physical abuse. On many levels, sexual and physical violence are both a cause and complication of the foster care system. The HerShe mission is to empower the females emancipated from this system to successfully aid them in transitioning into adult independence and realize their full potential by eliminating the barriers that impede successful living and effective leadership.

What: The Vagina Monologues performance benefiting The HerShe Group, 2005 V-Day Campaign and Women in Iraq:Under Siege

When: Thursday, March 17, 2004 VIP/Reception 6:00 pm, Showtime 7:30 pm

Where: The Wilshire Ebell Theatre, 4401 W. 8th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90005

Tickets: $35.00 - $65.00 and will be will be available www.vdayla.org

Note to Media: For inquires, interviews and media comps, contact makeda@jazzmynepr.com