Marie Goulet, of Homewood, says she’s “done it more than not.” She tells this to a small room full of women who have braved a January snowstorm to attend their first read-through of Eve Ensler’s pro-woman performance piece “The Vagina Monologues.”

The women — some young, some old; brown, black and white — drove in from neighboring suburbs, as well as from the city, all inspired to participate in the once-a-year production.

By Goulet’s count, she said, she’s been involved in the show at least a dozen times since it originated in 1996. This year, she’s directing it and working with the South Suburban Family Shelter (SSFS), a nonprofit organization in Homewood devoted to assisting families affected by domestic violence, to bring it to life at Prairie State College in Chicago Heights. The one-night-only production goes up Saturday as part of V-Day, a day of advocacy that quickly evolved out of the show in 1998. This year marks V-Day’s 20th anniversary.

“There are no royalties on V-Day,” Goulet said, “and 10 percent of the proceeds go back to the V-Day organization, and the rest goes to a cause of your choice. The only stipulation is that it’s directly related to women.”

Vicki Meilach, director of community outreach for SSFS, said she met Goulet last year when the show went up at nearby Governors State University.

“I remember sitting there in the audience thinking, ‘I need to talk to her,’ ” Meilach said. “You know, the good news is (SSFS has) been doing this work for 38 years. The bad news is that we still have to, that we need to still be raising awareness about sexual violence and domestic violence. We are grateful for Eve Ensler’s show. It helps raise that awareness.”

SSFS does more than raise awareness, though. Meilach said the nonprofit organization uses funding — including proceeds from the upcoming event — to provide things such as gas cards, gift cards, grocery assistance and even rental assistance to women who come to SSFS in need of help. Like many social service organizations, SSFS depends on funding from the state too.

“I’m happy to report that we are partially state-funded again,” Meilach said. “We went over a year with nothing from the state, so we had to eliminate some positions. Fortunately, we are getting funded again, so we’re doing OK, but the need (for funding) is still there. This is the best thing for us when a group comes in and wants to work with us to benefit the families we help.”

The show, comprising monologues based on real stories gathered in interviews by Ensler, runs the gamut from the profound to the comedic and carries “a PG-13 rating,” Goulet said. “There’s some graphic language,” she said, “but it’s not inappropriate or gratuitous.”

Goulet and Meilach, both active in their communities, reached out to their networks to pull together the cast for the production, and a few local notables and politicos plan to grace the stage during the performance. State Sen. Toi Hutchinson, D-Olympia Fields, said she’ll be taking part in the production.

“It’s always been on my bucket list to be in this show,” Hutchinson said. “I remember the first time I saw it. My sister and I took our mom to see it in Chicago for her 50th birthday. It’s such a powerful piece, and it’s made even more so now. I’m hoping people who come to see it draw those lines between the show and what’s happening.”

Prairie State College President Terri Winfree will also play a role in the show, and Goulet hinted that there could be more “surprise” appearances on the night of the show.

Goulet said there’s a spotlight monologue each year — one that is only performed that year — and she said this year the spotlight is on “the resistance.”

“There’s no set spotlight monologue this year,” Goulet said, “but there are a few options available. I’ve invited several politically active women from the Chicagoland community to perform their own, original pieces in the show for our spotlight. I’ve worked with hundreds of women on this show over the years, and there’s not been one who doesn’t have their own story. We could all easily write our own monologues.”

Goulet, who works as a principal and a therapist during the hours she doesn’t devote to theater, said the value she sees in the show is in creating room for women to talk and find common ground, and it allows her to bring her two passions together.

“Art is the great dialogue producer, and it’s our job as artists to help create that dialogue,” she said. “It’s our job as therapists to hold space for that pain, so bringing those two things together — it’s really kind of the perfect gift for me. Being able to do this show that tells true women’s stories opens up dialogue and destigmatizes them.”

Angela Denk is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.

‘The Vagina Monologues’

When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday

Where: PSC Barnes & Noble Auditorium Theater, Prairie State College, 202 S. Halsted, Chicago Heights

Tickets: $20, 2 for $35, $15 students; www.ssfs1.org

Information: www.facebook.com/events/1738765002821563/?active_tab=discussion