Political Acts : Women in Northern Irish Theatre, 1921-2012 / Fiona Coleman Coffey.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Coffey, Fiona, author.

Series:

Irish studies (Syracuse, N.Y.)

Irish studies

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Women in the theater--Northern Ireland--History--21st century.

Women in the theater.

Women in the theater--Northern Ireland--History--20th century.

Northern Ireland--In literature.

Northern Ireland.

Genre:

Electronic books.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (312 pages)

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

New York : Syracuse University Press, 2016.

Summary:

Since the establishment of the Northern Irish state in 1921, theatre has often captured and reflected the political, social, and cultural changes that the North has experienced. From the mid-twentieth century, theatre has played a particularly important role in documenting women's experiences and in showing how women's social and political status has changed with the transformation of the state. Throughout the North's history, women's dramatic writing and performance have often contradicted mainstream narratives of the sectarian conflict, creating a rich and daring trove of counternarratives that contest the stories promoted by the government and media. Moving beyond the better-known women theatre practitioners of the North such as Marie Jones, Christina Reid, Anne Devlin, and the Charabanc Theatre Company, Coffey recovers the lost history of lesser-known, early playwrights and highlights a new generation of women writing during peacetime. She examines how Northern women have historically used the theatrical stage as a form of political activism when more traditional avenues were closed off to them. Tracing the development of women's involvement in Northern theatre, Coffey ultimately illuminates how issues such as feminism, gender roles, violence, politics, and sectarianism have shifted over the past century as the North moves from conflict into a developing and fragile peace.

Contents:

Introduction : setting the scene

part one. Theatre, gender, and politics, 1921-1979

1. Nation, conflict, and the politics of feminism

2. Theatre and state censorship

3. Raising the curtain : Alice Milligan, Patricia O'Connor, and Mary O'Malley

part two. Troubles and the stage, 1980-1997

4. Community engagement : the Charabanc Theatre Company

5. Political drama and controversy : DubbelJoint and the JustUs Community Theatre Company

part three. the post-agreement North, 1998-2012

6. Borderlands and the rural North : Abbie Spallen

7. The Protestant urban underclass : Stacey Gregg and Rosemary Jenkinson

8. Experimental theatre and queer dramaturgy : Shannon Yee

Conclusion : making strides.

Notes:

Issued as part of book collections on Project MUSE.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 277-288) and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9780815653882

0815653883

OCLC:

962450883