Eve Ensler

Eve Ensler (born May 25, 1953) is an American playwright, performer, feminist, and activist, best known for her play The Vagina Monologues. In 2006 Charles Isherwood of the New York Times called The Vagina Monologues "probably the most important piece of political theater of the last decade." In 2011, Ensler was awarded the Isabelle Stevenson Award at the 65th Tony Awards, which recognizes an individual from the theater community who has made a substantial contribution of volunteered time and effort on behalf of humanitarian, social service, or charitable organizations. 2Personal life Ensler was born in New York City, the second of three children of Arthur Ensler, an executive in the food industry, and Chris Ensler. She was raised in the northern suburb of Scarsdale. Her father was Jewish and her mother Christian, and she grew up in a predominantly Jewish community; however, Ensler identifies as a Nichiren Buddhist and states that her spiritual practice includes chanting Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō and doing yoga. Ensler says that from the ages of five to 10, she was sexually and physically abused by her father. Growing up, she has stated she was "very sad, very angry, very defiant. I was the girl with the dirty hair. I didn't fit anywhere." Ensler attended Middlebury College in Vermont, where she became known as a militant feminist. After graduating in 1975, she had a string of abusive relationships and became dependent on drugs and alcoho