At the recent reading of Leopoldville in Belfast I got talking to an audience member afterwards. A man. We were halfways into the chat about the play when he realised I was its author. He was shocked. He thought that as Leopoldville has an all-male cast that it had been written by a man. I have to say I often get this reaction to my work. This is, I think, because I write a lot of male characters - and often for all-male casts. I'm told I write 'very good men' - a compliment I'm sure, but a very odd one I think. Why? Because male writers have been writing about women for centuries without the phrase 'he writes very good women' being so much as whispered. No one bats an eyelid at Chekhov's women, Shakespeare's women, Ibsen's women, Tennessee Williams' women - but many eyelids are fluttered indeed when it comes to women writing about men. And that this is so is ridiculous. Think about some of literature's greatest male characters: Heathcliff, Rochester, Darcy, Frankenstein, need I go on? All creations of the female mind. To my mind this kind of 'segregationist' thinking is actually quite revealing; it reveals the very deep sexism present not only in society but in polite society, in 'artistic' society even. To make such a comment about a women writer being 'good at men' suggests that secretly you think women should stick to writing about women, that you are surprised, that you think art comes from a site of 'gender'. I have lots of theories on the genderless imagination but will save these for some future thesis. Meanwhile, another play written by a woman for an all-male cast is currently on at the Royal Court - Laura Wade's Posh.
In 2019 there were two magnificent productions of BELFAST GIRLS - and a reading of the play in Washington DC. BELFAST GIRLS premiered in August in Australia, at the Q Theatre in Queanbeyan, New SouthWales. Produced by Echo Theatre and directed by Jordan Best, this production did fantastically well and received a number of glowing reviews. I was so sorry to miss it and really hope that Jordan and the cast get to do it again. Here are some shots from this beautiful show: The next production was by the Swedish company, Batalj Scenkonst and this took place in Stockholm in November. This production marks the first production of the play in translation and luckily I was able to attend the opening night. Malin Erikson directed an absolutely stunning cast and I thought this was an incredibly beautiful show. Very physical and visual, with brilliant use of lighting and music. Even though I don't speak or understand Swedish I was completely moved by this show and really ho...
Ah, but they were romantic figures...see..there's always an angle a woman's creativity and skill can be lessened...I remember getting the most awful criticism for a novel I wrote as part of a creative writing course because I refused to make a male character "likable" for the male tutor - it was ok for the women to have light and shade but the guys had to be good??...odd...I'm all for writing inside any head you can occupy and best of luck with the play.
ReplyDeleteOK Rachel - am giving this some thought. The first female-created male I can think of that isn't cast in that Romantic mold is Hazel Motes from Wise Blood. But there has to be tons more. Its late - will give this some serious thought. Hope you're well.
ReplyDeleteoh and - Atticus Finch, the guys from Brokeback Mountain, Adrian Mole, Harry Potter, George Elliot's men, Sarah Hall's Cy Parks from her Electric Michaelangelo, Iris Murdoch's men - Charles Arrowby from The Sea, the Sea - that's for starters...
ReplyDeleteAdrian Mole!! HAhaha! Ok, no prize but you win!
ReplyDeleteThat was fun.
I am well, thank you. Hope you are, too.
Atticus, what a great character he is! George Eliot's men apart from Lydgate and Ladislaw! Her minor charachters are often more brilliant than the protags, though, I think.
Glad you liked Adrian, Rachel! I suddenly started to think of all the brilliant males created by female short story writers too. Some are etched in my brain - like the guys from a story called Bounty by Joyce Carol Oates. Oh, one could go on and on...
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