Happy Valentine’s Day! As you’re reading this blog post, the world is preparing for the annual V-Day One Billion Rising global activist celebration. Here at Authentic Beauty, when we get ready for V-Day, we’re not talking about candy hearts and stuffed bears. Instead, we’re readying ourselves to rise up alongside 189 countries, more than 100 organizations and tens of thousands of people across the planet to end violence against women and girls.
As many of you know, Alyson and Tony winning playwright, activist and V-Day founder Eve Ensler have enjoyed an almost decade-long friendship that began with a makeup application when Eve was performing A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer. At the time the two met, Ensler was planning to create a City of Joy in the Congo where women who had been raped and left for dead could begin to heal and learn leadership skills. Aly was bought to tears by Ensler’s electricity, passion and dedication to the cause. By the time Aly heard 48 women were raped every hour in the Congo, she was ready do whatever it took to help Ensler with her mission.
It wasn’t long before Ensler herself personally asked Aly to bring the Authentic Beauty message, You Shine Through, to the thousands of women who had been devastatingly affected and displaced by Hurricane Katrina for V-Day’s 10th anniversary and SUPERLOVE event. And, that’s exactly what Aly did, rallying 17 makeup artists to take a midnight bus to the SuperDome and work around the clock lifting up and nurturing women who had lost everything in the natural disaster. They even took thousands of personally-collected signed positive affirmation cards along with them as gifts for the Louisiana ladies!
At the time, Aly said standing side-by-side with 50 other artists from across the country and looking into the eyes of almost 5,000 women who had suffered unimaginable loss was transformational for the team and for the women. Today, she reflects on the feat and the SUPERLOVE weekend as one of the proudest moments of her life and career.
This year, for the first time EVER, Aly is performing in the annual V-Day One Billion Rising performance of The Vagina Monologues here in Atlanta, and we hope you’ll join us to mark the occasion. Why One Billion Rising? Because one in every three women and girls will be raped in her lifetime. That’s ONE BILLION mothers, daughters, sisters, friends! That’s one billion too many!
The award-winning play, based on Ensler’s interviews with more than 200 women, celebrates women’s strength and sexuality with grace and humor as it liberates “that one word” and encourages women to take back control of their bodies and their lives. The Vagina Monologues has been performed hundreds of times through its more than 16 year history, but it’s never seen the likes of Aly before!
On Saturday, February 18, 2017, Aly will participate in two performances (1:30pm and 7:30pm) at the Atlanta V-Day celebration produced by One Billion Rising Atlanta with proceeds benefitting House of Dawn (a second chance home for pregnant and parenting young women) and the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence. With nearly 20 Americans per minute (or 10 million each year) falling victim to domestic violence (the majority of them women), we can’t think of more worthy recipients.
Get your tickets here.
With the recent Women’s March still warm on the minds on Washington and the world, never has the timing been more appropriate for this annual celebration, and the Authentic Beauty team can’t wait to rise up once again beside thousands of other Atlantans with a vision to end violence against women and provide women and girls the opportunity to live freely and thrive.
Join us Saturday, February 18 at either the 1:30pm or 7:30pm performance (or both) to shine a bright light on injustice and show Atlanta and the world what one billion indivisible people really looks like as we resist violence against women in all forms!
Come ready to experience poetry, dance, art and power, as we express the joy of community and celebrate the gift of womanhood. We’ll rise up in our determination to create a world where violence is resisted until it is virtually unthinkable in our collective conscious.
Aly describes Ensler as “an amazing force for change in the world,” and says it’s “an absolute joy to be in her presence and participate in such a meaningful event.” Although Ensler will not be performing in this year’s Atlanta V-Day extravaganza, her palpable electricity is sure to be channeled through our city’s amazing cast. Don’t miss your chance to feel the energy in person!
Get your tickets here.
New this year, is the first ever performance of the MANologues, produced by hu-MAN UP. This new production features “diverse men’s voices looking beyond the man box.” Ticket combos are available here if you’d like to see both.
DETAILS
Date: Saturday, February 18, 2017
Time(s): 1:30 and 7:30pm
Location: Switchyards Downtown Club, 151 Ted Turner Dr. NW, Atlanta 30303
Tickets: On Eventbrite here
Please note this event is ages 14+ due to mature content and language.
