Feminism, Dramaturgy, and the Contemporary British History Play

Feminism, Dramaturgy, and the Contemporary British History Play
Author: Rebecca Benzie
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 296
Release: 2024-08-22
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1350191272

When we think of the contemporary British history play, why might we automatically think of playwrights such as David Hare, Howard Brenton, Peter Gill and Edward Bond? Because for decades the writing of the history play has been the preserve of the white male. This book provides a vital feminist intervention into the dramaturgy of history plays, investigating work produced at major British theatres from 2000 to the present, written by a generation of innovative women playwrights. This much-needed study explores the use of history – specifically Elizabethan, Restoration, Victorian and early 20th century – in contemporary playwriting in order to interrogate the gender politics of this work. Within the framework of contemporary feminism – including the pivotal #MeToo movement – the book looks at post-2000s feminist drama that somehow represents the past. Through delving into the recurring tropes and their politics in the light of current feminist debate, the author helps us grasp how these plays essentially re-imagine gender politics. Plays that are considered include Emilia (Morgan Lloyd Malcolm), Swive [Elizabeth] (Ella Hickson), An August Bank Holiday Lark (Deborah McAndrew), The Empress (Tanika Gupta), Red Velvet (Lolita Chakrabarti), Scuttlers (Rona Munro), I, Joan (Charlie Josephine), Blue Stockings and Nell Gwynn (Jessica Swale), and the musical Six (Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss).

Feminism, Dramaturgy, and the Contemporary British History Play

Feminism, Dramaturgy, and the Contemporary British History Play
Author: Rebecca Benzie
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 233
Release: 2024-08-22
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1350191280

When we think of the contemporary British history play, why might we automatically think of playwrights such as David Hare, Howard Brenton, Peter Gill and Edward Bond? Because for decades the writing of the history play has been the preserve of the white male. This book provides a vital feminist intervention into the dramaturgy of history plays, investigating work produced at major British theatres from 2000 to the present, written by a generation of innovative women playwrights. This much-needed study explores the use of history – specifically Elizabethan, Restoration, Victorian and early 20th century – in contemporary playwriting in order to interrogate the gender politics of this work. Within the framework of contemporary feminism – including the pivotal #MeToo movement – the book looks at post-2000s feminist drama that somehow represents the past. Through delving into the recurring tropes and their politics in the light of current feminist debate, the author helps us grasp how these plays essentially re-imagine gender politics. Plays that are considered include Emilia (Morgan Lloyd Malcolm), Swive [Elizabeth] (Ella Hickson), An August Bank Holiday Lark (Deborah McAndrew), The Empress (Tanika Gupta), Red Velvet (Lolita Chakrabarti), Scuttlers (Rona Munro), I, Joan (Charlie Josephine), Blue Stockings and Nell Gwynn (Jessica Swale), and the musical Six (Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss).

Feminist Theatre

Feminist Theatre
Author: Helene Keyssar
Publisher: Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire : Macmillan, 1984 (1986 printing)
Total Pages: 254
Release: 1984
Genre: Drama
ISBN:

Focuses on the works of Pam Gems, Michalene Wandor, Caryl Churchill, Megan Terry, and Ntozake Shange.

The Methuen Drama Handbook of Women in Contemporary British Theatre

The Methuen Drama Handbook of Women in Contemporary British Theatre
Author: Marissia Fragkou
Publisher: Methuen Drama
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2025-03-06
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1350360252

This handbook provides a detailed exploration of the rich and diverse theatrical work produced by women in the first two decades of 21st-century British theatre. The book explores key issues and methodologies relevant to women working in the UK's theatre industry including the legacies of feminism and its role in shaping contemporary work by women, the politics of visibility and inclusion in theatrical institutions and collaborative strategies in creating original work. Further, the book closely examines how women in contemporary British theatre tackle urgent social issues such as environmental risk, the representation of marginalised identities, mental and physical wellbeing. The book includes 20 chapters by both established and early-career scholars from a variety of international contexts. The essays offer up-to-date perspectives on significant questions and issues underpinning women's work in 21st-century British theatre by engaging with contemporary scholarly debates from the fields of theatre and performance studies and cultural theory. The book further includes a bespoke commissioned preface and a roundtable discussion thus offering a direct platform to women from the theatre industry to address key questions pertaining to their work. Featuring research tools such as introductions to sections, a detailed list of sources and an annotated bibliography, this is an authoritative study for anyone with a keen research interest in the areas of British theatre and women in contemporary theatre and performance.

Staging Female Characters in Shakespeare's English History Plays

Staging Female Characters in Shakespeare's English History Plays
Author: Hailey Bachrach
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 207
Release: 2023-10-31
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 1009356135

"Hailey Bachrach reframes female characters' roles in the history plays, overhauling their critical reputations. Combining literary and theatrical analysis, she illuminates how Shakespeare imagined the past."--

Feminist Stages

Feminist Stages
Author: Lizbeth Goodman
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 356
Release: 2020-11-26
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 1000672980

This volume is a collection of interviews that spans feminist views from 1968 to the 1990s. Including over eight years of research. Part of the Comtemporary Theatre Studies series, it will be of special interest to everyone involved in theatre and useful to students and those who oare interested in women's theatre.

Feminism In Modern English Drama (1892-1914)

Feminism In Modern English Drama (1892-1914)
Author: Swapan Kumar Banerjee
Publisher: Atlantic Publishers & Dist
Total Pages: 158
Release: 2006
Genre: English drama
ISBN: 9788126905706

Feminism In Modern English Drama Explores The Emergence Of The New Woman In The Plays Of Bernard Shaw, Galsworthy And Granville Barker And How Their Dominating Role Revolutionized The Modern Drama. The Emphasis Shifted From The Male Protagonist To The Unwomanly Woman Who Is Shown More As A Product Of Social, Economic And Political Interactions Than Individual Creation.The Focus Is On The Early And Middle Plays Of Bernard Shaw And The Influence Of Ibsen S Plays Has Been Given Their Rightful Place. Most Of Shaw S Major Plays From Widowers Houses To Pygmalion, Come Under The Purview Of The Book, While The Plays Of Contemporaries Like Pinero, Jones And Oscar Wilde Have Been Discussed To Highlight The Contrast.More Interesting Are The Unknown Assertive Heroines Of Galsworthy S Middle And Late Plays From The Eldest Son And The Fugitive To The Skin Game. His Women Characters Remain In Oblivion Because Hardly Any Scholar Has Bothered To Study Them. Though Granville Barker Is Well-Known As A Critic And Director Of Shakespeare S Plays, His Own Plays With The New Woman As Heroine Still Remain Little Known In The Academic Circle. In The Conclusion The Bearing Of This Early Feminism Is Shown On The Feminist Playwrights Like Caryl Churchill, Pam Gems Et Al. Of The 1980S.It Is Hoped That The Present Book Will Prove An Asset To Those Who Have Keen Interest In English Drama. In Addition, The Students, Researchers And Teachers Of English Literature Will Find It An Ideal Reference Book.

Theatre and Feminism

Theatre and Feminism
Author: Kim Solga
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 105
Release: 2015-11-02
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1350316237

Theatre & Feminism tells the story of the movement known as feminist performance theory. It explores key debates from its 40-year history, engages with the work of groundbreaking thinkers including Elin Diamond, Jill Dolan, Peggy Phelan and Elaine Aston, and includes case studies of recent performances by established and emerging feminist artists.