HowlRound Theatre Commons: The performance and staging of gendered violence is a political issue, and not a recent one. Gendered violence can be understood as a spectrum of acts, ranging from physical, sexual, and emotional abuses against marginalized women, to acts that nullify and demean women’s resistance to patriarchy. Women’s resistance takes on a variety of forms, such as anger, joy, care, self-preservation, and protest.
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Discussions about gendered violence on the stage are becoming increasingly common following the paradigm shift crafted by the "Me Too" movement and growing awareness about violence against women. The theater is a powerful tool to document stories and when the content of these stories can be intense it is essential they are staged correctly in order to correctly portray the story. Media, in general, has a lasting impact on societal views, therefore, if you change the way things such as concent is portrayed in movies, television, or live theater it can craft real social change in the real world.
I often find the word "Gender Violence" a difficult one because it feels so vague. However, I appreciate that this article tackled that issue head-on, describing the meaning of this term in the second sentence. Indicating that "Gender violence can be understood from a spectrum of acts, ranging for physical, sexual and emotional abuses against marginalized women... that nullify and demean the woman's resistance to the patriarchy." When it comes to showcasing these acts on stage, it is so incredibly important to do so with respect and grace. This article challenges traditional understandings, pointing at stereotypes that have been routinely detrimental towards women and breaking the systemic sexism that is way more prominent than often acknowledged. The suggestions are given in this article turn to tactics to analyze theatre and film and call out instances of gender violence by despectacling the issue, focusing on representation, and no accepting anything less than the standards that are being put in place. Elena Keogh
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