The hand that scripted The Vagina Monologues is coming to Calcutta to lend a helping hand to fellow Vagina Warriors.

Eve Ensler, the 61-year-old Tony Award-winning playwright, performer, activist and author of The Vagina Monologues, will be bringing her 'global rebellion through monologues, music, dance and poetry' to town next week.

Eve's One Billion Rising campaign has teamed up with Kolkata Sanved to stage Dance for Revolution, with t2, at St. Xavier's College on December 18 as a call to the city's youth. This will be followed on December 19 by an evening of performances, Rising for Revolution, at GD Birla Sabhagar presented by Swayam with t2.

So how did a date with Calcutta happen for Eve, whose Monologues broke taboos, starred the likes of Jane Fonda, Whoopi Goldberg, Susan Sarandon and Oprah Winfrey, and evolved into a movement?

Sohini Chakraborty of Kolkata Sanved said the idea for the show germinated earlier this year when she met Eve for the first time on a rainy May morning at a cafe on Broadway, New York. 'A few minutes into the conversation, we both jumped up and hugged each other. Eve shouted 'Revolution' and I screamed, 'Dance for revolution',' recalled Sohini, who had been introduced to Eve by Vital Voices, an American NGO that brings visibility to extraordinary women around the world.

'We had a long meeting discussing our philosophy, why we dance and how it's about reclaiming your freedom through unchoreographed movement. Since Eve too strongly connects with dance, which is why she started One Billion Rising, we decided to do a joint programme and Eve said Calcutta would be on her itinerary on her next India trip,' said Sohini.

The One Billion Rising campaign is an 'energy platform' launched by Eve and Monique Wilson in 2012 to tap into the revolutionary power of dance as a call for justice and an end to violence against women and girls.

Day One of Eve's Calcutta sojourn would begin with her 'dancing for revolution' at Swabhumi in the morning with girls and women survivors from NGOs across the city. The event is to be filmed and screened later at international symposiums.

Later that day, Eve is scheduled to address a gathering of youths at the St. Xavier's College auditorium as part of Dance For Revolution, in collaboration with the American Center. Nearly 600 students from different colleges are expected to attend the event.

A drum jam by Tanmoy Bose and dhakis will be followed by Eve performing an excerpt from her latest monologue, My Revolution Lives in this Body. All this before the crowd is urged to step up and rise to the power of dance.

Eve will also meet social activists and take part in an interactive session steered by Renu Roy at The Park.

'It feels that our work has created an impact for Eve to believe in us and collaborate with us. We are pleased and excited about it. She's the actual definition of a cool woman - vibrant, energetic and colourful. She is someone Calcutta should watch out for!' smiled Sohini.

Day Two will be about monologues, music, dance and poetry as part of a collaboration with Swayam, which works for women's rights and to end inequality and violence against women.

Anuradha Kapoor of Swayam said she was in Nepal for a conference when she tied up with Monique, who was there for a One Billion Rising event.

'Since we have been a part of the project from the very start of the campaign and each campaign adds visibility to the issue, I requested her to come with Eve to Calcutta because this would be a great opportunity for us to have the issue raised all over again. Eve performing in Calcutta will strengthen the voices of our women. Since her pieces are real and not fictitious, that makes them more powerful. I hope many men will come and watch her perform too,' Anuradha said.

Eve will read out excerpts from The Vagina Monologues and My Revolution Lives in this Body. The show will also feature songs by Monique, a veteran theatre and film actress from the Philippines and global director for One Billion Rising. Girls from New Light will perform a dance while The Red Curtain will stage a play titled A Few Threads.

EVE ENSLER to Metro...

What brings you to Calcutta this time, it's your first visit to the city:

What brings me to Kolkata is the amazing work of Sohini Chakraborty and Kolkata Sanved who have literally changed lives through dance. Because One Billion Rising is a movement to end violence against women using dance as the energy and the catalyst for transformation - it was only fitting to collaborate and partner with Sohini, her team, and the incredible young women she is empowering and healing through dance. I am utterly moved by her preparations and vision and heart and cannot wait for the magical explosion of the One Billion Rising dance revolution that will be happening there. What also brings me to Kolkata is the amazing work of Swayam led by Anuradha Kapoor - who are part of the Sangat South Asia network - who we have partnered with for a very long time now - and who have been leading the One Billion Rising campaign in Kolkata for the last two years.

What are you most looking forward to:

I am looking forward to dancing and rising for revolution with the young women of Kolkata Sanved - of seeing the energy of the young people leading the Youth Rising at St. Xavier College for the Dance Revolution event on the 18th. I am also looking forward to joining my sisters at Sangat and Swayam and other amazing women activists at the 'Rise for Revolution' event on the 19th - where we will call everyone to join our global rebellion through monologues, music, dance and poetry.

The St. Xavier's event is open to students with valid ID cards. Passes for Rising for Revolution at GD Birla Sabhagar are available at Swayam's office and Seagull Books from December 10 and at GD Birla Sabhagar from Dec 12, 11am to 6pm.