Feminism and Theatre

V97.0623-001

Professor Condeescu

This class will examine how feminist theory has shaped theatre studies. As such the course will stage and interrogate the shift between theatre and performance, and between textuality and embodiment. We will focus on key issues such as the historical prostitutionalization of women performers, the problems of defining feminism, being in a potentially “post feminist moment,” and the shift towards a "multicultural" theory of identity. The class will dialectically engage the perils of performance for women, as well as the potential for empowerment through feminist theatre. Authors may include Jill Dolan, Tracy Davis, Sue Ellen Case, Judith Butler, Eve Ensler, Wendy Wasserstein, Holly Hughes, Maria Irene Fornes and others.