Theatre, Performance and gender

Do we live in a gender equal society?

The simple answer, no

Ann Furedi (BPAS)

Says women are legally free to terminate pregnancy because of gender

The fundamental idea is that life does not simply divide into two realms, nor
does human character divide into two types.

The images that men and woman aspire to are scarcely a reality, Most women
and men do not look like the images we are conditioned to aspire to.

If we confine ourselves to a binary categorisation of differences, then we lose the

rest, we do not consider the fluidity.

False Aspirations:
Men: active, divisive, strong
Women: Passive

Gender in the contemporary world involves massive hierarchies of men,

corporations and armies— that cannot be reduced to male/female differences.

The difference in gender is not produced biologically but socially

Simone de Beauvoir and Judith butler: “one is not born, but rather, becomes a
woman”

Gender reality is performative. Gender reality is created through sustained social

performances.

IN THE THEATRE: For large periods women were excluded from performing, not
until 1666 where female actresses were first introduced, and upon their entry to
performance they were immediately sexualised.

From Gender to sexuality:

Michel Foucault argues that what we term sexual identity is the product of social
discourse

Notions of homo and heterosexuality are understandable only within a specific

culture which is underpinned by common sets of assumptions

In Ancient Greece, adult males could have sex with anyone as long as that person
was socially inferior and provided he maintained the active role in penetration.
Therefore, it changed over time.

Only a passive man is identified as homosexual in the example above, same

example applies to chicano culture in Latin America
In Papua New Guinea, young boys must earn their rite of passage through
performing fellation on older tribesmen in order to finalise the transition to
adulthood.

Sexual identity is thus seen as being historically and culturally mutable and not
dependant on innate attributes.

Theatre, with its liminal status, has long been a place where misfits and the
marginalised have congregated.

Minorities have found among theatre people a general acceptance sometimes not
available in the wider, dominant culture.

Peter tatchell-LOOK IT UP

Doing something makes the difference over professing something.

Make notes as to how you perform your gender roles

Bring an image of a performance of gender or sexuality in action