Cartographies of gender in contemporary Greek theatre: A work in progress?

Abstract

Abstract The article explores some ways in which Greek theatre production during the last 30 years has engaged with gender politics. Most theatre historians and critics agree that the impact of second-wave feminism was rather insubstantial in the context of Greek theatre, and despite the presence of women in fields such as acting, playwriting, set and costume design and directing, there is no trace of a collective effort to develop a tradition of feminist playwriting and theatre practice. Discussing selected works by women playwrights in the light of the reception of feminist thought in Greece from the early years of Metapolitefsi until today, my intention is to trace the different trends of feminist dramaturgies and their genealogies. The first trend refers to plays that expose and discuss issues related with the everyday experience of women and that, in their majority, adopt a realist aesthetic; the second includes women-centred works that adopt a more experimental dramatic style and use intertextuality in order to turn to history, myth or popular legends; and the third refers to the form of the monologue as a distinctive genre carrying a strong feminist dimension.