In the summer of 2002, the theatre department of the University of Hildesheim (Germany) undertook a practical project that attempted to generate theatrical performances from theoretical writings on theatre theory, mainly those originating in the late eighteenth century. Five groups dealt with essays written by Goethe, Schiller, Diderot and Lessing, re-enacting and questioning their theatrical missions and relating them to the more recent theoretical work of Bertolt Brecht, Antonin Artaud, Einar Schleef and Peter Handke. One of these theories (and consequently, one of the five projects) dealt with issues of body, gender and theatre theory – a terminological love triangle, as it seemed after some research. It seemed no accident that, from Goethe to Jean Cocteau, there were to be found several essays1 on the art of acting that relate their observations or even models to cross-gender performances, i.e. to make-believe-alterations of what we assume to be a fundamentally distinctive feature of the human body. I was involved in this project, called ‘Frauen in Anzug’ (Women in Suits),2 as a supervisor and director. It was based on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's 1788 essay ‘Frauenrollen auf dem römischen Theater durch Männer gespielt’ (Women's Parts Played by Men in the Roman Theatre). see also: "Bending Gender and Acting Theory: Performing essays by Goethe and Cocteau on the theatrical benefits of cross-dressing", in Studies in Theatre and Performance, intellect, 2006 A complete recording of the performance is available as a DVD (payment to cover packing and postage). Contact David Roesner directly or contact the Exeter Digital Archives. Notes: 1 - Lesley Ferris, for example, quotes Alfred Jarry, Guy Boas, and Jan Kott. 2 - The German title has a double meaning, because ‘im Anzug’ can mean both ‘in a suit’, but also ‘to be advancing ’. As our project group comprised 13 female students and 1 male student, the whole idea of men playing women was reversed from the start Programme Press Material Video Photos
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