The rough outline of my paper
INTRO (thesis):
Being a woman I experience sexism everyday. Every single woman I know has been sexually harassed at some point in her life. Domestic violence is in many ways a gendered issue that revolves around the oppression of women. In recent years the subject of domestic violence and relationship abuse has come to light after being overlooked for many years, but this is not enough. Most people today still know very little about the realities of domestic abuse and its dire effects. Using theatre as a medium to discuss issues such as this one has been proven to be effective. Theatre is emotional, visual, powerful, and most importantly, it is personal. This being said, there are always ways in which a piece can be more effectively conveyed to an audience. Different methods can be applied to theatre in order to make it a more accessible and comfortable medium for women to discuss sexism, the most important being the telling of stories.
History of Feminism in Theatre
1. Feminist Theatre by Helene Keyssar
2. Feminism and Theatre by Sue-Ellen Case
3. Making a Spectacle by Lynda Hart
Specific Plays
1. The Vagina Monologues
-created by Eve Ensler because she was “worried about vaginas” (Ensler)
-monologues inspired by real women’s stories
2. The Yellow Dress
-traveling company → Deana’s Educational Theatre
-one woman show about a girl who was killed by her ex-boyfriend
-talk about dating violence with high school/college students
Methods Used
1. Use real stories
-The Vagina Monologues was inspired by real interviews with women
2. Theatre of the Oppressed
-idea created by Augusto Boal
-use specifically designed theatrical games to talk about different issues
-grad student Julia Jester conducted experiment, had women play these games and talk about common women’s issues
3. Theatre Companies
-dedicate themselves to combating women’s issues
-listen to women to find out what they most want to discuss (Guerrilla Girls)
Theatrical Companies/Movements
1. Guerrilla Girls
-anonymous activist, use theatre to talk about sexism in the arts
2. Women’s Expressive Theatre (WET)
-empower women by challenging female stereotypes
3. Venus Theatre
-do shows that empower women and give them a voice
The Effects
1. The telling of stories leads to more stories
-Ensler Ted Talk → effects of The Vagina Monologues, women want to tell their own stories
-bring these opportunities to other places (Ensler)
-more movements and companies are created
Being a woman I experience sexism everyday. Every single woman I know has been sexually harassed at some point in her life. Domestic violence is in many ways a gendered issue that revolves around the oppression of women. In recent years the subject of domestic violence and relationship abuse has come to light after being overlooked for many years, but this is not enough. Most people today still know very little about the realities of domestic abuse and its dire effects. Using theatre as a medium to discuss issues such as this one has been proven to be effective. Theatre is emotional, visual, powerful, and most importantly, it is personal. This being said, there are always ways in which a piece can be more effectively conveyed to an audience. Different methods can be applied to theatre in order to make it a more accessible and comfortable medium for women to discuss sexism, the most important being the telling of stories.
History of Feminism in Theatre
1. Feminist Theatre by Helene Keyssar
2. Feminism and Theatre by Sue-Ellen Case
3. Making a Spectacle by Lynda Hart
Specific Plays
1. The Vagina Monologues
-created by Eve Ensler because she was “worried about vaginas” (Ensler)
-monologues inspired by real women’s stories
2. The Yellow Dress
-traveling company → Deana’s Educational Theatre
-one woman show about a girl who was killed by her ex-boyfriend
-talk about dating violence with high school/college students
Methods Used
1. Use real stories
-The Vagina Monologues was inspired by real interviews with women
2. Theatre of the Oppressed
-idea created by Augusto Boal
-use specifically designed theatrical games to talk about different issues
-grad student Julia Jester conducted experiment, had women play these games and talk about common women’s issues
3. Theatre Companies
-dedicate themselves to combating women’s issues
-listen to women to find out what they most want to discuss (Guerrilla Girls)
Theatrical Companies/Movements
1. Guerrilla Girls
-anonymous activist, use theatre to talk about sexism in the arts
2. Women’s Expressive Theatre (WET)
-empower women by challenging female stereotypes
3. Venus Theatre
-do shows that empower women and give them a voice
The Effects
1. The telling of stories leads to more stories
-Ensler Ted Talk → effects of The Vagina Monologues, women want to tell their own stories
-bring these opportunities to other places (Ensler)
-more movements and companies are created