"How is your vagina doing today?"

Lindsay Keiter (senior-history and women's studies) asked this question to her cast members at the beginning of rehearsals for this year's Vagina Monologues so they can voice their frustrations about their days and get into character.

The Vagina Monologues, which is performed at Penn State annually, will be held on at 8 tonight, tomorrow and Saturday in Schwab Auditorium. Tickets are free and are available at the HUB-Robeson Center, Eisenhower Auditorium and the Penn State Downtown Theatre Center, 127 S. Allen St.

"[The check-in at rehearsals] began last year and now it's sort of a tradition," Keiter said.

Although the dress rehearsal starts with laughs, the performance is focused on a serious cause.

"In college more and more people I knew were victims of sexual assault," Keiter said. "Our mission is to end violence against girls and raise awareness about violence against all girls and women.

The Vagina Monologues is a good way to start discussion about hard topics, Keiter said.

"It's an opportunity for people to talk about bodies without making it competitive," Keiter said. "It brings up a lot of things people are afraid to say. Experiences you're not suppose to talk about are addressed."

Although the body part may be exclusive to women, the show is not.

Men are welcome to attend the performance.

"We encourage the cast to tell males to come and we try to promote the date thing," Keiter said.

"[Vagina Monologues] shows how men have opportunities to make women feel good or bad about their bodies and men have much more opportunity to stop other men from committing violence," Keiter said.

Christina Michelle Talley (sophomore-theatre), an actress in the show, said the performance lets people know that women aren't toys or trophies, and they have opinions that matter.

"[The performance] celebrates different types of women, young and old," Talley said.

Also, Keiter mentioned that a lot of men are unaware of things a number of women have to go through in life.

"[The Vagina Monologues] is reaffirming for women but a shock to men," Keiter said. "They get to hear the things they aren't suppose to hear."

The Vagina Monologues is a piece that has other purposes than just to serve as a creative public service announcement.

Many of the actresses participating in this year's show said that it also honors the manyfacets of womanhood.

"It celebrates women's sexuality which was always a taboo thing," Nadja Quiñones (sophomore-English) said. "It puts new perspective on things, serious things, funny things."

So, if the Quiñones said the show is celebratory and raises awareness about women's issues, then why are the costumes for the performance mostly black?

Jully Merino (junior-women's studies and political science) said she has her own philosophical interpretation of why these costumes are being used for the performance.

"I think the dark black represents secrecy because you don't want anyone to know about [violence] and the red is the actual blood and pain that the woman goes through," Merino said.