Palgrave Studies in Theatre and Performance History: The Impossible Act

Arons, W.

In this book, Wendy Arons examines how women writers used theater and performance to investigate the problem of female subjectivity and to intervene in the dominant discourse about ideal femininity. Arons shows how contemporary demands for sincerity and authenticity placed a peculiar burden on women in the public sphere, especially on actresses, who - like professional writers - overstepped the boundaries of what was considered proper behavior for women.  Paradoxically, in their representations of ideal women engaged in performance, these writers expose ideal femininity as an impossible act, even as they attempt to perform it in their writing and in their lives.

Details

Published by: Palgrave Macmillan

Publication Date: 2006-10-03

Format: Paperback

ISBN-13: 9781349534524

DOI: 10.1057/9780230600737

Dimensions: 216cm x140cm

Pages: 270