Writing Resistance: Examining the Evolution of Feminist Ideology and Theory in Theatre Since the Second Wave

Olivia Cross

OAI: oai:digitalcommons.ursinus.edu:theater_sum-1015

As a Theater major and GWSS minor, I am interested in the intersection of feminist thought and theatrical discipline as a medium to convey voices and ideologies that would not be heard regularly. And when observing this phenomenon over time --specifically dating from the second wave of feminism-- I asked the following questions: "How has the theoretical evolution of feminism affected the stage over time?" "How does feminist theory allow for artistic resistance?" And "How will feminist theory and ideology affect the stage in the near future?" I explore these questions by reading, analyzing, and synthesizing texts and plays from the inception of second-wave feminism to the modern day. The conclusions I draw from this research uniquely track how theatre as a form of specific discourse evolves and affects the community at large, as well as facilitate an understanding of the future direction of feminist theatre. Furthermore, my research allows for a deeper exploration of my major and minor in a more comprehensive and focused manner and provides a basis for future theatrical work in my career. My observations culminate in an annotated bibliography and research paper that answer the above questions and present the events and trends I have researched and synthesized into a concise and informative argument.

Theatre feminism Second Wave artistic resistance feminist theory dramaturgy Arts and Humanities Dramatic Literature, Criticism and Theory History of Gender Other Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Theatre and Performance Studies Theatre History Women's History Women's Studies