Following ‘The Vagina Monologues,’ performance of ‘The Climate Monologues’ is waiting to come to the Rogue Valley and benefit local environmental nonprofit
By Sydney Seymour, Ashland.news
After a successful production of “The Vagina Monologues” and raising more than $2,000 for Planned Parenthood of Southwestern Oregon, Ashland actor and director Lia Dugal intends for “The Climate Monologues” to premiere in Oregon in late 2025 or early 2026 at the Bellview Grange in Ashland. Dugal is raising funds to cover production and venue costs for her company, Cafe-Girl Thriving Artists.
“The Climate Monologues” by playwright and environmental activist Sharon Abreu weaves a touch of comedy and even song into a work based on experiences of environmental activists and those affected by climate change around the world.
Since producing “The Vagina Monologues” in March in Ashland, and considering the current presidential administration, Dugal knew she wanted to raise awareness and funding for climate change. Half of proceeds from “The Climate Monologues” will be given to environmental education nonprofit Southern Oregon Climate Action Network (SOCAN), which will be featured at the two-night showcase.
“Climate change is the biggest crisis ever,” Dugal said to Ashland.news in a phone interview. “If we don’t have a planet, we don’t have Planned Parenthood.”
As a former actor in “The Vagina Monologues,” Abreu was inspired by and recognized the similar sensitivities of the topics and made a connection with the title, “The Climate Monologues,” Abreu said to Dugal in a video interview. She also said she wanted to show the “humanity of people … great ideas … and positive change,” by telling the stories of people she met and interviewed.
Dugal plans to follow Abreu’s vision of an energy-efficient show with minimal costume pieces and few props to highlight the characters and stories.
“It’s about the story and the person that was interviewed,” Dugal continued. “Keeping it as simple as possible helps to emphasize that, and makes it more profound.
The deets
Those interested in donating can help secure the show venue and cover production costs by clicking here. The goal is to raise $1,300; as of Thursday evening, a total of $80 had been raised.
Actors of all levels and identities may be interested in checking the Cafe-Girl Productions Facebook page for a future casting call.
One monologue is based on a woman who became an environmental activist after living in a town called “Bob White,” named after a bird that went extinct after coal miners blew up mountains where the birds nested.
Dugal chose the “Climate Monologues” because of the “hope” in the play. It wasn’t all “doom and gloom,” she said to Ashland.news over the phone.
While the idea of environmental change can be “daunting,” Dugal continued, “coming to this will give a sense of hope and community. Finding community in a cause helps people feel not so alone in this fight, and that helps to bring hope and impact change.”
“The Climate Monologues” were first performed by Abreu in 2010 as a one-woman show, and several dozen times across the country since then. It was then picked up by high school students across the U.S. and in Thailand.
For its Oregon-based premiere, Dugal hopes to perform the show in Ashland — where “The Vagina Monologues” were performed — because “Ashland doesn’t have a community theater basis, it’s more professional or semi-professional.” She hopes to establish “community theater with an impact, where there’s a societal concern that we’re working towards raising awareness for.”
To secure the venue and cover production costs, Dugal calls on the community to help bring this performance to fruition. A portion of the fundraiser donations will also benefit Abreu’s nonprofit, Irthlingz, an arts-based environmental education website.
Every donor will be acknowledged as an “executive producer” in the playbill. Those who donate $30 will receive a “Make America Green Again” (MAGA) hat. The first four individuals who donate $75 will receive a signed copy of the book, “Song To Save The Salish Sea,” by University of Minnesota Professor and ecomusicologist Mark Pedelty, which includes a chapter about “Climate Monologues.”
Email Ashland.news Snowden intern Sydney Seymour at sydneyseymourr@gmail.com.
Related story: ‘I wanted to do something’: Ashland actor/director to stage benefit performance of ‘The Vagina Monologues’ (March 21, 2025)
