Women and Theatre

Marcy Szymanski

Dramatic Literature

Tara Lydy

March 25, 2007

Women and Theatre:

What a Long, Crazy Trip It’s Been

Webster defines “feminism” as 1. The theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes. 2. Organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests. Theatre has been a part of this “organized activity” from its very beginning, but theatre was not always available for women to use as a tool for expression. In fact, theatre was in existence for nearly 2,000 years before women could participate in it at all. Women had to fight for their place in theatre, and there were many strong, inspirational women along the journey that helped shape it to become the safe haven for feminist expression, and female performance that it is today.

Theatre historians agree that theatre began with the Greek choruses, theatrical

festivals, and competitions. Historians also agree that, as with the democracy of the time, women did not act in the dramas or participate in the choruses. It is even debated as to whether they were even allowed to attend the festivals. There is evidence to suggest that they attended, but were segregated from the men (Wilson 31). Female roles in the dramas were played by men wearing masks, and the choruses were comprised entirely of men and boys. Women were not a part of the Greek theatre.

Women were not recorded as part of theatre at all until the tenth century BC when Hrosvitha, a German nun, is recorded as the first female playwright (Wilson 123). During this period of time, theatre was re-emerging in the church as an acceptable entertainment, but women were still not allowed to participate. There is evidence that Hrosvitha was of a noble birth, and not completely cloistered, so she would have had more exposure to the world than other nuns. She wrote in the style of Terence, the Roman playwright, but cleaned up the subject matter considerably. She wrote six dramas that were meant to “glorify...