I think Ensler wants vaginas to be performed publicly simply because women are forced to repress so many parts of their lives. Society wants women to keep quiet about what they consider irrelevant, mainly emotion, sexuality, and individuality. This is why the vagina monologues are to be performed publicly, these pent up feelings need to be expressed in order to release women from the chains of oppression that bind them in their everyday lives.
When people keep everything bottled up, whether voluntarily or through the fear of becoming a social pariah, they usually tend to appear to be peaceful and at ease with the status quo. However, it is really the opposite that is true. Within their consciousness they are at war with oppression, without an outlet they could soon lose this fight and fall into despair and hopelessness. The public performance of the vagina monologues allows for this outlet, in which female sexuality, individualism, and emotion are allowed to flow freely whereas they otherwise were dammed up by society.
In my opinion, by giving vaginas a human form there is a more personal connection formed between the performer and the audience. A message is more likely to resonate with an audience if the message is coming from someone who has some sort of commonality with the audience.
The way we see and think of vaginas does change. Before, they were taboo from discussion and only representative of sex. Now, the vagina is an image of sexuality and emotion. They are portrayed as the woman’s subconscious, a window into the seldom seen world of female sexuality and the all the emotions behind it. Ensler aims to change the way we perceive vaginas from a mere body part to a part of the soul that needs to be understood.
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