DOI
https://doi.org/10.25772/TDX3-8D02
Defense Date
2019
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts
Department
Theatre
First Advisor
Dr. Keith B. Kirk
Second Advisor
Dr. Jesse Njus
Third Advisor
Josh Chenard
Abstract
This thesis attempts to reconstruct the narrative of Anne Greene, a young female servant in 1650 England that was wrongfully found guilty of infanticide and made into a spectacle by her peers as an example of what happens when one breaks societies gender norms and is met by the influence of the gender politics of the period. Her female body was objectified and placed on display by a ritual performance of the hangman’s noose and the criminal corpse to further the process of by maintaining fear among members of the population, especially rebellious women. Thus, making Anne Greene a subversive figure, victimized by a patriarchal society, a trope that remains relevant today. By way of literary adaptation, explorations of bodily practice, and engagements with the historical archive this thesis allows Anne Greene’s disembodied figure to unfold as a narrative and visual tool in history. This study and the accompanying original play text allow Anne Greene to become an essential figure to feminist studies and continuing struggles for equality in the era of the “Me too” social narrative.
Rights
© Mariah Taghavie-Moghadam
Is Part Of
VCU University Archives
Is Part Of
VCU Theses and Dissertations
Date of Submission
4-25-2019
Included in
Biblical Studies Commons, Dramatic Literature, Criticism and Theory Commons, European History Commons, Fine Arts Commons, History of Gender Commons, Other Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons, Other Theatre and Performance Studies Commons, Playwriting Commons, Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons, Theory and Criticism Commons, Women's History Commons, Women's Studies Commons