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Women in Stage Combat: a Study on Babes with Blades Theatre Company

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Women in Stage Combat: a Study on Babes with Blades Theatre Company WOMEN IN STAGE COMBAT: A STUDY ON BABES WITH BLADES THEATRE COMPANY Macaela Carder Whitaker A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY May 2015 Committee: Lesa Lockford, Advisor Radhika Gajjala Graduate Faculty Representative Michael Ellison Ronald Shields © 2015 Macaela Carder Whitaker All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Lesa Lockford, Advisor In my dissertation, “Women in Stage Combat: A Study on Babes With Blades Theatre Company,” I explore the practice of stage combat as performed by the all-female stage combat company, Babes With Blades Theatre Company. I interviewed eight members of the all-female stage combat company Babes With Blades Theatre Company. I co-constituted the narratives over the course of seven months using ethnographic research methods; these methods included conducting qualitative interviews, participant observations of one stage combat workshop, three fight calls, and two theatrical productions produced by Babes With Blades, and through field notes. As I am trained in stage combat, I also bring my experiences into consideration through personal reflections throughout the dissertation. In order to analyze my experience in the field and with the interviews, I engage phenomenology, feminist theory, performativity, and cultural studies in sports. I begin my analysis by situating the Babes With Blades Theatre Company within the larger context of stage combat, a traditionally male dominated field. In chapter two I establish Babes With Blades Theatre Company as a troupe worthy of study by situating the company’s history in the larger history of stage combat. In chapter three I examine how the study participants understand and perform gender and femininity as well as how the company presents women in two productions from the 2010-2011 season. In chapter four I explore how these women experience power and agency through their engagement of stage combat. My overarching claim is that while these women’s understandings of gender and femininity are influenced by traditional social constructions of gender and femininity, their participation in stage combat and iv their lived experience as female stage combatants create performances of gender and femininity that nevertheless defy traditional social norms for feminine gender performance, thus, they present strong female images that challenge audiences to reassess their potentially taken-for- granted assumptions of women as combatants – as strong, athletic, and powerful people. Moreover, I also argue that insofar as Babes With Blades creates more opportunities for women stage combatants in a theatrical world that is predominated by male stage combatants, it is a company worthy of scholarly exploration. v This work is dedicated to My parents, Denise Reisdorph and Dale Carder My grandparents, Clinton Anderson, SaVera Anderson, Howard Carder, and Alice Alberta Carder My furry children, Ares, Luna, and Nigella And my husband, Scott Whitaker vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This project would not be possible without the guidance of my dissertation advisor, Dr. Lesa Lockford. I want to thank Dr. Lockford for her unwavering support, patience, and encouragement during this process, which turned out to be longer than anyone planned. Dr. Lockford was my sounding board when I got lost in my research, reminding me to “stop overthinking” and just write. With her mentorship, my academic voice is stronger and my writing is clearer. I must also thank her for a wonderful gift, our cat Luna, she is a joy and has been my mascot during this process. Words cannot express how grateful I am for all that she has done for me and my family. I want to take the time and thank my dissertation committee: Dr. Michael Ellison, Dr. Radhika Gajjala, and Dr. Ronald Shields. Each of you provided valuable insight and guidance during the conceptual stage. I want to thank Dr. Ronald Shields for staying on my committee after leaving BGSU. The faculty and staff of the Theatre and Film Department at BGSU provided much support and guidance during my decade at the university. I want to especially thank Dr. Jonathan Chambers for his assistance in my revalidation process. I also want to thank the participants of this study some of the Babes of Babes With Blades Theatre Company: Amy E. Harmon, Kathrynne Wolf, Libby Beyreis, Jennifer Mickelson, Morgan Manasa, Liz MacDougald, Delia Ford, and Arielle Augustyn, and the Artistic Director, Leigh Barrett. Thank you for sharing your stories, your enthusiasm, your laughter and your company with me. I appreciate the time you gave me both in person and via email and Facebook. As I revisited the transcripts of our conversations I was brought back to the passion and commitment to stage combat that each of you shared with me. This dissertation would not be possible without you. Jennifer, thank you for answering my questions on The Last Daughter of Oedipus, a wonderful script with strong female characters that I enjoy revisiting time and time vii again. Amy, thank you for putting me in contact with all of these wonderful Babes. I hope to come and play with you all soon! I would be remiss if I did not thank the faculty and staff of my undergraduate and master alma mater, the University of Central Missouri Department of Theatre and Dance. The years I spent with you prepared me for my future, I cannot thank you enough. A special thank you to Dr. Julie Rae Mollenkamp, Dr. Richard Herman, and Dr. Ed See for encouraging me to pursue my doctorate and for fostering my love for higher education. The last year of school would not have been possible without the financial support of the donations I received from the Finishing my PhD in Theatre website hosted on Gofundme.com. Many thanks to Christin Schuster and Danica Dralus and the many donors who chose to remain anonymous (although I would love to shout your names for your support). I am so very grateful. I have a wonderful cast of family and friends who have supported me through school and numerous productions. I must give a large thank you to my Facebook cheering section, The Future Dr. Mac Support Group. This wonderful group of people (you know who you are) provided endless support during this process. You provided virtual tissues when I shed tears and shared smiles and memes when I overcame so many obstacles. You kept me accountable to my schedule and when I started to run out of energy you gave me that extra push. I thank each of you! A special thanks to Cheryl Willoughby for acting as my editor, you helped me see the forest through the trees! To the members of the Bitchbarn, thank you for your friendship and support and I see an orange juice shot put contest in our future. There are four close friends who supported me through various stages, a special thanks to David Sollish, Dawn Schluetz, Maggie Shartzer, and Diane Rust. You provided perspective, feedback and friendship and for that and so much more I thank you. My father-in-law, Wayne Whitaker, I thank you for the gas money and for keeping me grounded during this process. I am lucky to have four parents, a special thank you viii to my father-by-marriage, Ron Reisdorph, and my mother-by-marriage, Barb Carder. Thank you for loving my parents and welcoming me into your families. Mommy and Daddy, I cannot thank you enough for supporting my life choices both emotionally and financially. At sixteen when I informed you I was going to pursue a career in the theatre, you didn’t blink you just accepted my choices and encouraged me to be happy. And last, but certainly not least, I want to thank my husband Scott, without your love, care, goading, patience, and goofy dances, I would be lost. This is for you! ix TABLE OF CONTENTS Page CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION…………………………………………… ..…....……… 1 Literature Review………………………………..………...……………………….. 5 Methodology and Theoretical Framework………………….....…………………… 8 Overview and Limitations of the Study and My Positionality…… .....……………. 16 Chapter Breakdown……………………………………………………… ......……. 19 CHAPTER II. STAGE COMBAT AND BABES WITH BLADES……………… .....…… 21 A Brief History of Stage Combat…….…..……………………………….......……. 21 A Brief History of Babes With Blades Theatre Company ……………… ....……… 30 Introduction to the Babes of the Study…………………………………… .....……. 37 Kathrynne Wolf ............……………………………………………………. 38 Amy E. Harmon ...............………………………………………………….. 40 Libby Beyreis ................……………………………………………………. 42 Delia Ford ........................………………………………………………….. 43 Morgan Manasa ...............………………………………………………….. 44 Jennifer L. Mickelson ...……………………………………………………. 46 Arielle Augustyn ..............………………………………………………….. 47 Elizabeth MacDougald..……………………………………………………. 49 Conclusion………………………………………………………………… ....……. 50 CHAPTER III. BABES WITH BLADES: FEMININITY AND GENDER PERFORMANCE…… .........................................................................……………………. 52 “The F Word:” Performing Femininity and Gender……………………… ....…….. 54 x Portraying Strong Women: BWBTC Productions……………………… ....………. 71 The Last Daughter of Oedipus………………………………………………. 71 Romeo and Juliet..............………………………………………………….. 79 Conclusion…………….………………………………………………… .......……. 86 CHAPTER IV. POWER AND AGENCY: PLAYING AGGRESSOR/VICTIM/PARTNER……………………………….……… .......…………. 89 The Great Boob Escape of 2006……………………………………… ......……….. 89 “That’s not going to work”: The Functional Body…..…………… … ........………. 92 “Oh, there it is”: The Habitual Body…..…………………………… ......…………. 95 “Get your extension,
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