Staging Politics and Gender: French Women’s Drama, 1880–1923 PDF
Preview Staging Politics and Gender: French Women’s Drama, 1880–1923
Additional Praise for Staging Politics and Gender “InStaging Politics and Gender,Cecilia Beach paints a vivid picture of the culture of radical politics in Paris during the period 1880 to 1923. Chapters on early feminists Louise Michel,Madeleine Pelletier,Nelly Roussel,Véra Starkoff,and Marie Lenéru describe and analyze long- forgotten dramatic works that were performed for popular audiences. What these agitprop,thesis plays,and plays of social protest have in com- mon is the goal of creating a more egalitarian secular society in which women have control over their sexuality, reproductive and maternal rights,protection against domestic violence,and the right to divorce.The exhaustive and meticulous research that went into writing this illuminat- ing study prepares Beach to place first-wave feminism in its historical context and to explain how militant activists used drama to fight for women’s rights.” —Jane Moss,Robert E.Diamond Professor of French and Women’s Studies,Colby College “Through patient and original research,Cecilia Beach does an inspiring job of filling in the history of women in French theatre from the 1880s to just after World War I.Her broad-based study identifies five activists, often fiery,playwrights:Louise Michel,Nelly Roussel,Véra Starkoff,Dr. Madeleine Pelletier,and Marie Lenéru,shedding new light on anarchist and feminist cultural work and examining what forms politicized theatre and theatre for the ‘people’have used to best effect.” —Judith Miller,Chair,Department of French,New York University “Cecilia Beach has gone back to the heroic period of the battles for women’s rights;to the time when universal secular education was avail- able for the first time in France,when the new socialist ideas were being promoted through the Universités Populaires.She has demonstrated the key role played by women in the formulation of progressive thought at this time,and has written a meticulously researched study of the role of women dramatists in the most advanced political movements of the period.The names of Louise Michel, Nelly Roussel,Véra Starkoff, Madeleine Pelletier and Marie Lenéru are almost unknown in the con- text of theatre history.This publication restores them to their rightful place and will be an essential volume in all libraries specialising in theatre studies.In the year when the Nobel prize went to Elfriede Jellinek, known partly for her play that portrays the struggles of Nora once she leaves her ‘doll’s house,’it is particularly good to see this study of Nora’s contemporary sisters appearing.” —David Bradby, Professor of Drama and Theatre Studies, Royal Holloway,University of London “The historical continuities highlighted by Beach are among the most valuable qualities of this book.It is now possible to contextualize prop- erly Apollinaire’s Mamelles de Tiresias—a nativist,antifeminist play on the burlesque mode—in the face of the feminists’early struggles for abortion and birth-control,and their works for the stage promoting women’s issues.Madeleine Pelletier’s tragic fate—a medical doctor,she was insti- tutionalized as deranged—is only the best known case of the repression and censorship feminists were exposed to a century ago.The very history of feminist playwrights,journalists,and militants of the Belle Epoque has largely been ignored,so Beach’s book brings both a sense of wonder and relief.Now we have new,fascinating,readable evidence of the debates on marriage and procreation women playwrights produced . . . The alliance of socialism and feminism—such as we have applauded it late in the century with Mnouchkine or Duras—is shown as another major phase in the dialectics of politics and art,one illustrated by an Olympe de Gouges,two centuries ago.This is a work of superb scholarship,sobriety of tone and style;it conveys admiration and respect for her “subjects,”five women playwrights at the turn of the century.It opens a totally fresh, exciting window on the era:those struggles were stifled by WWI and Simone de Beauvoir grew up mostly sheltered from them,by circum- stance and education.No doubt,the author of The Second Sex—who tried her own,modest sally on stage with Les Bouches inutiles—would have fully shared our enthusiasm for this compelling contribution to the writing of French women’s cultural history.” —Christiane P. Makward, Professor of French, Francophone, and Women’s Studies,Pennsylvania State University Staging Politics and Gender French Women’s Drama,1880–1923 Cecilia Beach STAGINGPOLITICSANDGENDER © Cecilia Beach,2005. Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2005 978-1-4039-6585-1 All rights reserved.No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. First published in 2005 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN™ 175 Fifth Avenue,New York,N.Y.10010 and Houndmills,Basingstoke,Hampshire,England RG21 6XS Companies and representatives throughout the world. PALGRAVE MACMILLAN is the global academic imprint of the Palgrave Macmillan division of St.Martin’s Press,LLC and of Palgrave Macmillan Ltd. Macmillan® is a registered trademark in the United States,United Kingdom and other countries.Palgrave is a registered trademark in the European Union and other countries. ISBN 978-1-349-52917-9 ISBN 978-1-4039-7874-5 (eBook) DOI 10.1057/9781403978745 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available from the Library of Congress. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Design by Newgen Imaging Systems (P) Ltd.,Chennai,India. First edition:June 2005 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 To Laurent This page intentionally left blank Contents Acknowledgments ix Chapter One Introduction:Theater,Politics,and Gender 1 Chapter Two Staging the Revolution:Louise Michel 26 Chapter Three Feminism and the Freethinkers Movement: Nelly Roussel 49 Chapter Four Theater of a Tolstoïenne: Véra Starkoff 67 Chapter Five Braving the Law:Madeleine Pelletier 92 Chapter Six Theater of Ideas:Marie Lenéru 110 Chapter Seven Conclusion and Epilogue 133 Notes 144 Bibliography 170 Index 180 This page intentionally left blank Acknowledgments I am grateful to all the friends,family and colleagues who have given me support through the years while I have been working on this project.In particular,I would like to thank my chair,Sandra Singer,for her contin- ual encouragement,as well as Kerry Kautzman,Ariana Huberman,Vicki Westacott,Carol Burdick,and Laurent Dappe for their help editing the manuscript in its various stages of development.This project would not have been possible without the help of the librarians at Herrick Library in Alfred; la Bibliothèque nationale de France, la Bibliothèque del’Arsenal,and la Bibliothèque Marguerite Durand in Paris;the British Library;and the International Institute of Social History in Amsterdam. Special thanks to Yves Dappe,Francine Nguyen,Gilles Effront,Sonia Peterson,Anton Valdine,and Jim Yarin for their assistance uncovering the identity of Véra Starkoff and providing information about her family background.Finally,I would like to thank the Alfred University NEH Endowment Fund committee for awarding me two grants to conduct research in Europe.
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