Anne Bogart: Viewpoints by Michael Bigelow Dixon; Joel A.

Smith; Women Stage Directors

Speak: Exploring the Influence of Gender on Their Work by Rebecca Daniels
Review by: Mary A. Donahoe
Theatre Journal, Vol. 49, No. 4, Historicizing Bodies (Dec., 1997), pp. 547-548
Published by: The Johns Hopkins University Press
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3208414 .
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 BOOK REVIEW / 547

intomultiplemasks"(43). Such insightssuggest thegrowingbodyofinformationaboutthisinno-

thevalueofInnes'sworktoscholarsofpostmodem director.
vativeand important
theblindspots
as wellas modemtheatre--despite
Bogartopensthecollection withtheessay,"Ter-
in his own pointofview.
andDifficulty,"
ror,Disorientation whichmayserve
Innesand Drainstagethecharacters andplotsof as a generalstatement of her aesthetic.She dis-
twentieth-centurytheatre inverydifferent, yetcom- cussesherinterest in exploring"our originalter-
plimentary ways. Innes limits his analyticframe- ror"-a concept akin to Artaud's"cruelty" in that
work(and his use of theterm"avant-garde") to bothdirectorswanttoshockcomplacent spectators
one majorveinofmodemtheatre: "Theborrowing by confronting themwiththe discoveryof what
ofritualformsto manipulate theaudienceis what Bogartcalls "mystery" and "trembling" in the
distinguishesavantgardeaimsmostclearlyfrom theatrical event.Bogartbeginsthisexploration by
socialorpoliticallycommitted drama"(11).Drain's admittingher own terrorat beginningthe re-
sourcebookpresentscertainavant-gardefigures hearsalprocess,and she emphasizesthe impor-
withthatritualaim,especiallyinhis"innerdimen- tanceofthedirector stayingin thatriskyplace so
sion" section,but also moreof the figureswho thatshe may nurtureand provokethe creative
exemplify theothertrajectory-artists withstron- processof the actorsas theyinteractwith the
gersocialandpoliticalthanspiritual commitments. content ofthetext.Thedirector mustcreatecrises
In spiteof suchlimitsand imbalances, thesetwo in therehearsalprocessso thatshe can getout of
volumestakentogether providea healthydose of herownway,andso thatthepossibility ofcreative
retrospective uponourlongandcomplex discovery
reflection mayhappen.
century. Yet theyalso exemplify thedifficultyin
Ifthisopeningessaywereall we had ofBogart's
achievinga more than myopicview of recent thoseofus whoareseekingtoexpandour
trends,particularly in theirdifficulties withthe method,
term"postmodernism." directingskillsmightbe frustrated. Happilythe
nextessay,"Source-Work, theViewpoints andCom-
MARK PIZZATO position:WhatAre They?"by Tina Landau,de-
University ofNorthCarolinaat Charlotte scribesthreeofBogart'stechniques in somedetail.
All threeinvolveexploratory activitiesbased in
movement, improvisation, and textinvestigation.
Theyrepresent fascinating and provocative ideas
translatedintoconcrete exercises;thetextinvesti-
ANNE BOGART: VIEWPOINTS. Edited by gationdiscussion,forexample,concerns an assign-
Michael Bigelow Dixon and Joel A. Smith. mentgivento actorsin thefirst weekofrehearsal
Career Development Series. Lyme, NH: fora Chekhovplay.
Smith and Kraus,Inc., 1995; pp. xvi + 208.
The collectioncontinues withessaysby collabo-
$14.95 paper.
ratorsand critics.
Dramaturg Gregory Gunterdis-
WOMEN STAGE DIRECTORS SPEAK: EX- cussesBogart'smethodofusingvisualimageryin
PLORING THE INFLUENCE OF GEN- the rehearsalprocess,illustrating withexamples
DER ON THEIR WORK. By Rebecca fromseveralproductions. SITI companymember
Daniels. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Com- EllenLaurenand playwrights EduardoMachado
ix + 245. $25.50 cloth. and CharlesL. Mee, describe
Jr., theirexperiences
pany,Inc., 1996; pp.
workingwithBogart,sharinga deep admiration
for the respectshe shows all membersof the
In 1995theworkof postmodern directorAnne ensemble.Suzukiandplaywright PaulaVogelplace
Bogartwas featuredat the ActorsTheatreof Bogartin historical perspective as an artisttrying
Louisville's10thAnnualClassicsin ContextFesti- to awakenAmerican theatre fromitsStanislavski-
val. Thiseventresultedin thepublication ofAnne inducedslumbers. Vogel'slongandexcellent analy-
Bogart:Viewpoints, an anthologyof essays and sis ofthedemiseofAmericantheatreparticularly
lecturesby Bogartand othertheatrepractitioners praisesBogartforherworkwiththedevelopment
and critics.Theanthology also includesa produc- of new plays. CriticsPorterAndersonand Mel
tion historyfrom1976 to 1995 and the entire Gussow speak to what is "avant-garde"about
performance textof SmallLives/Big Dreams--de- Bogart'swork;bothcharacterize it as her coura-
rivedfromChekhov'sfivemajorplaysandcreated geous abilityto destroyin orderto create,her
and performed atthefestival byBogart'scompany, "aestheticofdisruption" (117).In thefinalessay,
theSaratogaInternational TheatreInstitute (SITI), feministscholarEelkaLampeanalyzestheAsian
whichshefoundedwithJapanese director Tadashi influencesonBogart's work,concluding thatBogart
Suzukiin1992.Viewpoints is a welcomeadditionto uses Asiantheatre techniques as toolsto "critique

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548 / BookReview

the model of theatreas the mirrorof [Western womenfocusmoreon creating ensembleand on

culture"(159).
patriarchal] being"open"to inputthanon functioning as au-
thority figures.Someotherproblems range froma
Ann Bogart:Viewpoints succeedsin presenting
generallack of familiarity withwomendirectors
Bogart'svision forthe Americantheatreof the and an intolerance forcertainbehaviorsinwomen
future.Moreimportantly, it challengesthereader
directors(such as how womenexpressangeror
toquestiontheverypurposeoftheatre and toask, in therehearsalhall)to struggling
withBogart,"Whydo we needtheatre?" givedirections
(125). withpersonalself-doubt. forexample,says
Bogart,
RebeccaDaniels's Women Stage Directors Speak: that she finds "more and more thata deeper
Exploring theInfluence ofGenderon TheirWorkis psychological problemin myown conditioning is
based on interviews withthirty-five contemporary that I don't say things terribly directly.I feelthat
women stage directorsabout "whetherand in becauseI am a womenthatI insinuate myself on a
whatway thesewomenperceivedgenderas most process,ratherthandirecta process.... Because
significantly influencing theirown artisticpro- I'm a woman,I deal withmoreself-doubt as a
cesses"(1). Thoseinterviewed includeartistic di- director becausedirecting is a powerrelationship"
rectorssuchas AnnBogartand ElizabethHuddle, (83).
freelancedirectorssuch as JoAnneAkalaitisand Collaboration skillsareidentified
such as bymostofthe
PennyMetropulos,director-playwrights womendirectors as theirgreateststrengths, and
Maria Irene Fornesand EmilyMann, director- womenbelievethatcollaboration be
founderssuch as BarbaraAnn Teer and Zelda many may
easierforfemalethanformale directorsdue to
Fichandler,and resident directors suchas Liz Dia- culturalconditioning. DirectorAlana Byington
mond and CynthiaWhite.Most of thoseinter- statesthat
"a womanis moresuitedto directing
viewed fitinto severalcategories;theyare also becausethethingsthatwe considerfeminine traits
actresses,
producers, and teachers. Two are Asian are thingsdirectors need" (98); PamelaHendrick
American,threeare AfricanAmerican, threeare believesthatas morewomenbecomedirectors,
Latina.Fourdesignate themselves as lesbians.Most theatre willbecomemorecollaborative (100).
considerthemselves feminists.
Thisbook also exploresgenderissuesin script
Daniels'sintention is to exploretheintersection selection are oftenhiredto di-
(womandirectors,
ofdirecting and genderand to identify reccurring rectplaysinthe"woman'sslot,"forexample)and
issues.She makesno valuejudgments aboutgen- in interpretation-the need to deconstruct tradi-
derdifferences or issuesofsuperiority. Rather, by tionalsystemsofrepresentation whenconfronted
examiningthe way individualwomendirectors witha textthatobjectifies femalecharacters. Work-
work,sheexploresthedirecting processitself. ing with actorsand designers, nontraditional and
Daniels is quite thoroughin preparingthe cross-gender casting,the use of space, and eco-
nomicandcareerconsiderations arealsoaddressed
ground.She gives a briefhistoryof directorial
and and discusses the as areas of gender influence.
theory practice qualities
traditionallyheldtobe mostimportant fora direc- WhileDaniels'sfindings are notaltogether sur-
torto master, especiallyleadership(powerissues) to thoseof us who workin theatre, her
and collaborative skills.Shealsodiscussestheories prising
study ofwomendirectors and genderinfluences is
of genderdifference and the way thesewomen and informative. It givesus a glimpse
in societyat fascinating
directorsview genderdifferences intotheworkinglivesofthirty-five womenstage
large. directors andendsup beingan inspiring testimony
The mostfascinating sectionofthebookcomes to theircourageand talents.
in themiddlechapters wherethedirectors discuss MARY A. DONAHOE
theinfluence ofgenderon theirwork.Despitethe StateUniversity
as Wright
factthatmostdo notwishto be characterized
"wormen" directors, majorpowerissuesemergeas
theytalkabouttheirperceptions and experiences.
Mostfeelat a disadvantage beingfemaleina male-
dominatedfield where culturalstereotypes of
womenabound.Theseincludetheassumption that
a sexuallyattractive womanis incapableof per-
forming wellina powerful position. Thereis alsoa
generalperception thatwomentendtosharepower
in the rehearsalprocess more than men-that

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