The Vagina Monologues banned in Chisinau

Eve Ensler’s play “The Vagina Monologues”, directed by Nelly Cozaru, was suspended and prohibited for an undetermined period. The Philharmonic Hall’s administration, which was supposed to host the performance, received a telephone call on Tuesday, October 2, from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism ordering the suspension of the play, Info-Prim Neo learned from Nelly Cozaru. The director said that ahead of the premiere on Sunday, September 30, a group of women accompanied by singer Anatol Latasev entered the Philharmonic and interrupted the rehearsals. They addressed swore at the production team, blaming them for being the servants of Satan. The same religious group came to protest at the first performance, on Monday, October 1. The protesters solicited the police to search the spectators and found in a woman’s bag chestnuts, bottles and a knife. “On Tuesday I was invited to the Commissariat in order to give explanations about the nature of the show”, said Nelly Cozaru, specifying that the show doesn’t include any explicit scenes. It is a work of art which talks about women’s intimacy, relationship with men and the right to pleasure. The Chief of Art Department of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Sergiu Boboc, denied the existence of an official order for suspending “The Vagina Monologues”. Moreover, he mentioned that the play is not even listed on the performances agenda submitted to the Department for October. A statement on “The Vagina Monologues” is posted on the official website of the Moldovan Metropolitan Church, which states that the performance is praising adultery and immorality, distorts the intimacy, breaks the relationship blessed by the marriage and breaks the limits of morality in Christian families. The statement also mentions the pseudo-educational, amoral, pervert and destructive nature of the play.