1. Roots and Contexts
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Notes 1. Roots and Contexts 1. Phyllis Mae!, 'Interview with Honor Moore, Los Angeles, April 1978', in 'Catalog of Feminist Theater- Part I', Chrysalis, no. 10 (1979) p. 51. 2. Gertrude Stein, Last Operas and Plays, ed. Carl Van Vehten (New York: Vintage Books, 1978); 'Introduction' and 'After word' in What Are Masterpieces? (New York: Pitman, 1970) pp. viii, 98. This metaphor is also cited by Honor Moore in her 'Introduction' to The New Women's Theatre (New York: Vintage Books, 1977) p. xxv. 3. Patty Gillespie, 'Feminist Theatre', in Helen Chinoy and Linda Jenkins (eds), Women in American Theater (New York: Crown Publishers, 1981) p. 283. 4. See the description of this process as outlined by Meri Golden of the Alive and Trucking Theatre Company in Dinah Louise Leavitt, Feminist Theatre Groups (Jefferson, N.C.: McFar land, 1980) pp. 27-8. 5. Konstantin Stanislavsky, My Life in Art, trans. J. J. Robbins (New York: Theatre Arts Books, 1948) p. 143. 6. John Russell Taylor, Anger and After, paraphrase of Lit tlewood's remarks (London: Eyre Methuen, 1962) p. 120. 185 Feminist Theatre 7. Sara Evans, Personal Politics (New York: Vintage Books, 1980) p. 86. 8. Charlotte Rea, 'Women's Theater Groups', The Drama Review, vol. 16, no. 2 (June 1972) p. 82. 9. Michelene Wandor, Understudies (London: Eyre Methuen, 1981) p. 32. 2. Foothills: Precursors of Feminist Drama 1. 'Rosa White', unpublished paper by Martha Stifter Waller. 2. Lorraine Hansberry, A Raisin in the Sun, in Lindsay Patterson (ed.), Black Theatre (New York: New American Library, 1971) p. 355. 3. Ibid., p. 374. 4. Interview with Joan Littlewood in Behind the Scenes: Theater and Film Interviews from the Transatlantic Review (New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1971) pp. 1-12. 5. John Russell Taylor, Anger and After (London: Eyre Methuen, 1962) p. 131. 6. Shelagh Delaney, A Taste of Honey (New York: Grove Press, 1959) p. 72. 7. Michelene Wandor, Understudies (London: Eyre Methuen, 1981) p. 75. 8. Helene Keyssar, 'I Love You, Who Are You: the Strategy of Drama in Recognition Scenes', PMLA, March 1977, pp. 297-306. 9. Shelagh Delaney, The Lion in Love (London: Eyre Methuen, 1961) p. 85. 10. Taylor, Anger and After, p. 77. 11. Ann Jellicoe, 'Preface' to Sport of My Mad Mother, rev. edn (London: Faber & Faber, 1964) p. 5. 12. Doris Lessing, letter to the author, March 1982. 3. Megan Terry: Mother of American Feminist Drama 1. Dinah L. Leavitt, 'Megan Terry', interview in Helen Chindy and Linda Jenkins (eds), Women in American Theater (New York: Crown Publishers, 1981) p. 288. 2. Megan Terry, interview with the author, January 1982, Omaha, Nebraska. 186 Notes 3. Viola Spolin's Improvisation for the Theatre (New York: Pitman, 1965) was a bible for transformational training in the sixties and seventies. 4. Megan Terry,Hothouse (New York: Samuel French, 1975). 5. Megan Terry, Keep Tightly Closed in a Cool Dry Place, in Four Plays by Megan Terry (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1967) p. 6. 6. Megan Terry, Calm Down Mother, in Victoria Sullivan and James Hatch (eds), Plays By and About Women (New York: Vintage Books, 1973) p. 279. 7. Megan Terry, interview with Phyllis Jane Wagner, 4 March 1972, cited in 'Introduction', Approaching Simone (New York: The Feminist Press, 1973) p. 13. 8. Jo-Ann Schmidman and Megan Terry, in an interview with the author, January 1982, Omaha, Nebraska. 9. Ibid. 10. Ibid. 4. The Dramas of Caryl Churchill 1. C. W. E. Bigsby, Contemporary English Drama (London: Edward Arnold, 1981) pp. 13-18. 2. Catherine Itzin, Stages of the Revolution (London: Eyre Methuen, 1980) p. 281. 3. Ibid., p. 279. 4. Caryl Churchill, in an interview with the author, March 1982. 5. Ibid. Unless specifically stated, all quotes from Caryl Churchill come from the author's interview. 6. Itzin, Stages of the Revolution, p. 282. 7. Michelene Wandor, Understudies (London: Methuen, 1981) p. 66. 8. Itzin, Stages of the Revolution, p. 221. 9. Caryl Churchill, 'A Note on the Production', in Light Shining in Buckinghamshire (London: Pluto Plays, 1978). 10. Ibid. 11. Michael Goldman, The Actor's Freedom (New York: Viking Press, 1975). 12. Dorothy Dinnerstein, The Mermaid and the Minotaur (New York: Harper & Row, 1976) p. 161. 187 Feminist Theatre 13. Michelene Wandor (ed.), Plays by Women (London: Methuen, 1982) vol. 1, p. 39. 14. Caryl Churchill, 'If You Float', in Vinegar Tom (London: TQ Publications, 1978). S. A Network of Playwrights 1. Vivian Gornick and Barbara K. Moran, Women in Sexist Society (New York: A Mentor Book, New American Library, 1971) p. 40. 2. Myrna Lamb, The Mod Donna and Scyklon Z (New York: Pathfinder Press, 1971) p. 28. 3. Adrienne Kennedy, Funnyhouse of a Negro, in William Brasmer and Dominick Consolo (eds), Black Drama (Columbus, Ohio: Charles E. Merrill, 1970) p. 258. 4. Rochelle Owens,Futz, in Albert Poland and Bruce Mailman (eds), The OffOffBroadway Book (New York: Bobbs-Merrill, 1972) p. 198. 5. Rosalyn Drexler, Skywriting, in Rachel France (ed.), A Century of Plays by American Women (New York: Richards Rosen Press, 1979) p. 177. 6. Honor Moore, 'Introduction' to The New Women's Theatre (New York: Vintage Books, 1977). I want to thank Moore here for valuable research and information that persistently informs this book. 7. Tina Howe, Birth and After Birth, in Honor Moore (ed.), New Women's Theatre (New York: Vintage Books, 1977) p.129. 8. Honor Moore, Mourning Pictures, in Honor Moore (ed.), New Women's Theatre, p. 235. 9. Maria Irene Fornes, Fefu and Her Friends, in Performing Arts Journal, Winter 1978, pp. 116--17. 6. Communities of Women in Drama 1. Pam Gems, 'Interview' with Ann McFerrans, Time Out, 21-7 October 1977; quoted in Michelene Wandor, Understudies (London: Eyre Methuen, 1981) p. 63. 2. Pam Gems, in Michelene Wandor (ed.), Plays by Women (London: Methuen, 1982) vol. 1, pp. 72-3. 188 Notes 3. Pam Gems, Dusa, Fish, Stas and Vi, in Wandor (ed.), ibid., vol. 1, p. 70. 4. Michelene Wandor, 'Introduction' to Strike While the Iron is Hot (London: Journeyman Press, 1980) p. 11. 5. Commentary by Kate Crutchley and Nancy Duiguid, in ibid., p. 63. 6. Commentary by Michelene Wandor on Aurora Leigh, in Wandor (ed.), Plays for Women, vol. 1, p. 134. 7. Michelene Wandor, Aurora Leigh, in ibid., p. 107. 8. Ntozake Shange, Three Pieces (New York: Penguin Books, 1982) p. ix. 9. Ibid., p. xii. 10. Ibid., pp. xii-xiii. 11. Some of this material draws upon commentary on for colored girls in my previously published book The Curtain and the Veil: Strategies in Black Drama (New York: Burt Franklin, 1982) pp. 212-17. 12. Ntozake Shange,for colored girls (New York: Macmillan, 1975) p. 11. 13. Ibid., p. 35. 14. Ibid., p. 60. 15. Shange, Three Pieces, p. 113. 16. Ibid., p. 117. 7. Success and its Limits 1. Wendy Wasserstein, Uncommon Women and Others (New York: Avon Books, 1978) p. 74. 2. Mel Gussow, 'New Voices in the Theater', New York Times Magazine, 1 May 1983, p. 40. 8. Nooks, Crannies and New Directions 1. Chris Rawlence, 'Introduction' to Strike While the Iron is Hot, in Michelene Wandor (ed.), Strike While the Iron is Hot (London: Journeyman Press, 1980) p. 19. 2. Mica Nava, 'Introduction' to My Mother Says I Never Should, in ibid., pp. 115-16. 3. The Women's Theatre Group, My Mother Says I Never Should, in ibid., p. 141. 189 Feminist Theatre 4. Martha Boesing in collaboration with At the Foot of the Mountain, The Story of a Mother, A Ritual, in Helen Chinoy and Linda Jenkins (eds), Women in American Theater (New York: Crown Publishers, 1981) p. 44. 5. I wish to thank Angela Didio who reported to me on the Festival. 6. William M. Hoffman (ed.), Gay Plays (New York: Avon Books, 1979) pp. ix-x. 190 Bibliography Where information was available, place and date of first produc tions are noted. In many instances some plays were subsequently produced in other locations. In other instances plays listed here have been produced but date and locations were unavailable. Akalaitas, Joanne, Dead End Kids: A History of Nuclear Power (produced at Mabou Mines, New York, 1980). Boesing, Martha, Accent of Fools (First Play, at Connecticut College for Women). --, The Wanderer (produced at Minneapolis Opera Co., Minneapolis, 1969). --, Earth Song (produced by American Friends Service Com mittee, 1970). --, Pimp (produced by At the Foot of the Mountain, Min neapolis, 1973). --, The Gelding (produced by At the Foot of the Mountain, Minneapolis, 1974). In collaboration with At the Foot of the Mountain. --,Raped: A Woman's Look at Brecht's Exception and the Rule (produced by At the Foot of the Mountain, Minneapolis, 1976). In collaboration with At the Foot of the Mountain. --,Mad Emma (1977). 191 Feminist Theatre --,The Moon Tree (produced by At the Foot of the Mountain, Minneapolis, 1977). --,Journeys Along the Matrix: Three Plays by Martha Boesing (includes The Gelding, River Journal, Love Song for an Amazon) (Minneapolis: Vanilla Press, 1978). Bovasso, Julie, The Moon Dreamers (also director: produced New York, 1967; rev. version, New York, 1969) (New York: Samuel French, 1972). --,Gloria and Esperanza (also director: produced New York, 1968; rev. version, New York, 1970) (New York: Samuel French, 1973). --,Schubert's Last Serenade (produced New York, 1971), in Spontaneous Combustion: Eight New American Plays, ed. Rochelle Owens (New York: Winter House, 1972). --, Monday on the Way to Mercury Island (produced New York, 1971). --,Down by the River Where Waterlilies Are Disfigured Every Day (produced Providence, Rhode Island, 1972; New York, 1975). --, The Nothing Kid, and Standard Safety (also director: produced New York, 1974); Standard Safety (New York: Samuel French, 1976).