A Cognitive Approach to Naomi Wallace's Spectator

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A Cognitive Approach to Naomi Wallace's Spectator Rovie Herrera Medalle Towards an Enactive Paradigm: A Cognitive Approach to Naomi Wallace's Spectator. Director: Dr. Bárbara Ozieblo Rajkowska Tutor: Dr. Rosario Arias Doblas Thesis Submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy English Studies Universidad de Málaga (UMA) January 2020 AUTOR: Rovie Herrera Medalle http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7788-6941 EDITA: Publicaciones y Divulgación Científica. Universidad de Málaga Esta obra está bajo una licencia de Creative Commons Reconocimiento-NoComercial- SinObraDerivada 4.0 Internacional: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode Cualquier parte de esta obra se puede reproducir sin autorización pero con el reconocimiento y atribución de los autores. No se puede hacer uso comercial de la obra y no se puede alterar, transformar o hacer obras derivadas. Esta Tesis Doctoral está depositada en el Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Málaga (RIUMA): riuma.uma.es Málaga a Viernes de 28 de junio de 2019 Bárbara Ozieblo Rajkowska, profesora de la Facultad de Filosofía y Letras (Universidad de Málaga), HACE CONSTAR Que Rovie Herrera Medalle es estudiante de doctorado del Programa de Doctorado en “Lingüística, Literatura y Traducción”, con matrícula activa, y que ha realizado bajo mi dirección, la Tesis Doctoral titulada “'Towards an Enactive Paradigm: A Cognitive Approach to Naomi Wallace's Spectator” Revisado el presente trabajo estimo que reúne los requisitos establecidos según la normativa vigente. Por lo tanto, AUTORIZO la admisión a trámite y defensa pública de esta Tesis Doctoral para optar al grado de Doctor en la Universidad de Málaga. Y para que así conste, lo firmo en Málaga a Viernes de 28 de junio de 2019. Fdo. Bárbara Ozieblo Rajkowska Towards an Enactive Paradigm 3 Vicerrectorado Estudios de Posgrado Servicio de Posgrado y Escuela de Doctorado DECLARACIÓN DE AUTORÍA Y ORIGINALIDAD DE LA TESIS PRESENTADA PARA OBTENER EL TÍTULO DE DOCTOR D./Dña ROVIE HERRERA MEDALLE Estudiante del programa de doctorado LINGÜÍSTICA, LITERATURA Y TRADUCCIÓN de la Universidad de Málaga, autor/a de la tesis, presentada para la obtención del título de doctor por la Universidad de Málaga, titulada: TOWARDS AN ENACTIVE PARADIGM: A COGNITIVE APPROACH TO NAOMI WALLACE'S SPECTATOR. Realizada bajo la tutorización de ROSARIO ARIAS DOBLAS y dirección de BÁRBARA OZIEBLO RAJKOWSKA (si tuviera varios directores deberá hacer constar el nombre de todos) DECLARO QUE: La tesis presentada es una obra original que no infringe los derechos de propiedad intelectual ni los derechos de propiedad industrial u otros, conforme al ordenamiento jurídico vigente (Real Decreto Legislativo 1/1996, de 12 de abril, por el que se aprueba el texto refundido de la Ley de Propiedad Intelectual, regularizando, aclarando y armonizando las disposiciones legales vigentes sobre la materia), modificado por la Ley 2/2019, de 1 de marzo. Igualmente asumo, ante a la Universidad de Málaga y ante cualquier otra instancia, la responsabilidad que pudiera derivarse en caso de plagio de contenidos en la tesis presentada, conforme al ordenamiento jurídico vigente. En Málaga, a 8 de ENERO de 2020 Fdo.: ROVIE HERRERA MEDALLE Edificio Pabellón de Gobierno. Campus El Ejido. 29071 Tel.: 952 13 10 28 / 952 13 14 61 / 952 13 71 10 E-mail: [email protected] - Towards an Enactive Paradigm 5 6 Towards an Enactive Paradigm Documentación en español. Resumen en español. Como parte del amplio ámbito filológico, la presente investigación se enmarca en el estudio de las dramaturgias estadounidenses contemporáneas, en concreto en la obra de Naomi Wallace. No siendo sólo su obra el único objeto de estudio en este trabajo, esta investigación doctoral trata de analizar la ausencia de una epistemología sólida y certera en el fenómeno de las audiencias teatrales. Como marco de investigación, se podría considerar que la presente tesis doctoral alberga una aproximación interdisciplinar, ya que se toma como referencia el movimiento académico estadounidense de estudios cognitivos aplicados a las humanidades. Tras la observación y estudio de la obra de Naomi Wallace, concluyo que la complejidad de sus representaciones teatrales no dejan indiferente al espectador. Con la intención de entender dicha experiencia del espectador al que Wallace intenta dejar perplejo, exploro la teoría del espectador bajo el marco de los estudios cognitivos, que me lleva al uso del paradigma “Enaction”. La presente tesis pretende ilustrar la necesidad de una nueva epistemología en el estudio del espectador en teatro, puesto que en numerosas investigaciones se ha tratado de profundizar en el análisis del espectador pero no se ha llegado a obtener la certeza de un análisis que vaya más allá de lo textual. Por ello, sugiero que el estudio de la mente del espectador, es la puerta de acceso que lleva a entender el fenómeno de la audiencia. Para ello propongo un enfoque cognitivo acorde con la tendencia cognitiva que las humanidades han experimentado en los últimos diez años. Centrándome en los trabajos de la dramaturga Naomi Wallace como representación de un modelo complejo de audiencia en la esfera teatral del Off-Broadway. Las obras de Wallace tratan de impactar al espectador y de romper con los estereotipos enmarcados en la temática de la política, aspectos de razas, aspectos familiares y Towards an Enactive Paradigm 7 sociales. La dramaturga, considerada por algunos críticos una autora neo-Brechtiana, cuestiona el sistema capitalista estadounidense y los valores tradicionales. Debido a que las obras de Wallace prestan especial atención a las emociones del espectador y al impacto de sus obras más allá de la propia función teatral, creo firmemente que una aproximación cognitiva para analizar al espectador reportará beneficio tanto al entendimiento de la experiencia del espectador así como a un análisis profundo de sus obras. En la esfera de la aproximación cognitiva al teatro, los estudios recientes de Bruce McConachie sobre teatro y evolución apuntan hacia el paradigma de “Enaction”, el cual va más allá de aspectos que conciernen a la mente, y contempla otros conceptos tales como “embodiment, environment, and experience”. Por consiguiente, la presente tesis se centra en la aproximación cognitiva hacia el espectador y progresivamente desemboca en un análisis “Enactive” de la obra de Naomi Wallace. La obra de Naomi Wallace se compone primariamente de obras de teatro aunque también escribe poesía. La temática de su obra—aspectos sociopolíticos y conflictos de género—junto con su proyección internacional—escritora sureña, Kentucky, con visibilidad en la escena teatral británica. Esta pluralidad, me llevó a elegir su obra ya que no podría adscribirla en ninguna categoría específica. Por este motivo, en ocasiones me refiero a su obra con el apelativo de “compleja”, ya que dicha complejidad es el principal elemento que destaca por encima de otros aspectos. En el capítulo primero incluyo un análisis crítico de la obra de Naomi Wallace, concentrándome particularmente en el efecto que intenta crear en el espectador. Algunas reseñas indican que las obras de teatro de Wallace parecen inacabas, hecho que en mi opinión se debe a su interés en provocar preguntas antes que proveer respuestas. Además, comento en el capítulo el aspecto político y la influencia que la obra de Brecht ejerce sobre Wallace. Dedico también un apartado a explorar sus personajes creados para romper con los estereotipos impuestos por la sociedad y, a su vez, desestabilizar las 8 Towards an Enactive Paradigm expectativas del espectador. A través de breves, secciones trato temas como la técnica, la puesta en escena y el lenguaje empleado, con la intención de proveer al lector de esta tesis con una panorámica del estilo de Wallace. El propósito de este capítulo es servir de introducción a las obras de teatro de Wallace, y con ello contribuir a un análisis profundo de su obra. Esta panorámica pone de manifiesto la necesidad de prestar especial atención al impacto que sus obras crean en el espectador. El segundo capítulo, “The development of Spectatorship Theory”, comienza con una cita de Grotowski en la que se demuestra el papel relevante del espectador. Asimismo, explico que, desde tiempos inmemoriales, se han llevado a cabo análisis del espectador; pero dichos análisis no suponen un profundo estudio de la materia en cuestión. Contemplo por ello la obra de Susan Benett Theatre Audiences: A Theory of Production and Reception (1997), la cual ha sido uno de los análisis más completos en dicha materia hasta la fecha. Bennett acoge y estudia en Theatre Audiences los monográficos sobre el análisis del espectador, tales como Distance in the Theatre: The Aesthetic of Audience Response (1984) de Daphna Ben Chaim, The Feminist Spectator as Critic (1988) de Jill Dolan, o las publicaciones de Patrice Pavis en la aproximación semiótica al teatro. Bennett observa, que, en contraposición a estos estudios, algunos críticos tratan de innovar con el uso de estudios interdisciplinarios, tales como el trabajo de Richard Schechner y Mady Schuman en la colección de ensayos Readings, Ritual, Play, and Performance (1976); por lo que considero que es de suma relevancia producir nuevas líneas de investigación en el análisis del espectador, ya que, desde el siglo XX, se ha carecido de relevante innovación. Además de la obra referente de Bennett, exploro el trabajo de Augusto Boal en Theater of the Oppressed (1979), o Jacques Rancière en The Emancipated Spectator (2009). Ambos trabajos señalan el rol activo del espectador, pero dichas obras aportan un carácter descriptivo al análisis del espectador y carecen de una metodología bien definida. Además, analizo brevemente en este capítulo la aproximación Towards an Enactive Paradigm 9 semiótica al teatro, ya que se considera el modelo principal para el análisis del espectador en las últimas décadas del siglo XX; en el que destacan los trabajos realizados por Pavis, tal y como he señalado anteriormente, y el trabajo de Keir Elam en The Semiotics of Theatre and Drama (1980), aunque este ultimo dedica escasamente unas páginas al análisis del espectador.
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