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Reconstructs the constitutive role that German actresses played on and off the stage in shaping not only modernist theater aesthetics and performance practices, but also influential strains of modern thought.
Around 1900, German and Austrian actresses had allure and status, apparent autonomy, and unconventional lifestyles. They presented a complex problem socially and aesthetically, one tied to the so-called Woman Question and to the contested status of modernity. For modernists, the actress's socioeconomic mobility and defiance of gender norms opened space to contest social and moral strictures, and her mutability offered a means to experiment with identity. For conservatives, on the other hand, female performance could support antifeminist convictions and validate masculine authority by positing woman as nothing but a false surface shaped by productive male forces. Influential male-authored texts from the period thereby disavowed female subjectivity per se by equating "woman" and "actress."
S. E. Jackson establishes the actress as a key figure in a discursive matrix surrounding modernity, gender, and subjectivity. Her central argument is that because the figure of the actress bridged such varied fields of thought, women who were actresses had a consequential impact that resonated in and far beyond the theater - but has not been explored. Examining archival sources such as theater reviews and writing by actresses in direct relation to canonical aesthetic and philosophical texts, The Problem of the Actress reconstructs the constitutive role that womenplayed on and off the stage in shaping not only modernist theater aesthetics and performance practices, but also influential strains of modern thought.
Around 1900, German and Austrian actresses had allure and status, apparent autonomy, and unconventional lifestyles. They presented a complex problem socially and aesthetically, one tied to the so-called Woman Question and to the contested status of modernity. For modernists, the actress's socioeconomic mobility and defiance of gender norms opened space to contest social and moral strictures, and her mutability offered a means to experiment with identity. For conservatives, on the other hand, female performance could support antifeminist convictions and validate masculine authority by positing woman as nothing but a false surface shaped by productive male forces. Influential male-authored texts from the period thereby disavowed female subjectivity per se by equating "woman" and "actress."
S. E. Jackson establishes the actress as a key figure in a discursive matrix surrounding modernity, gender, and subjectivity. Her central argument is that because the figure of the actress bridged such varied fields of thought, women who were actresses had a consequential impact that resonated in and far beyond the theater - but has not been explored. Examining archival sources such as theater reviews and writing by actresses in direct relation to canonical aesthetic and philosophical texts, The Problem of the Actress reconstructs the constitutive role that womenplayed on and off the stage in shaping not only modernist theater aesthetics and performance practices, but also influential strains of modern thought.
Price: $120.00
Pages: 246
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer Inc.
Imprint: Camden House
Series: Studies in German Literature Linguistics and Culture
Publication Date:
22 January 2021
Trim Size: 9.00 X 6.00 in
ISBN: 9781640140868
Format: Hardcover
BISACs:
DRAMA / European / German, Plays, playscripts, PERFORMING ARTS / Theater / History & Criticism, LITERARY CRITICISM / Subjects & Themes / Women, Theatre studies, History of Performing Arts
The book is an important contribution not only to analyzing how gender relations have shaped German modernism but also to undoing that double standard in present-day scholarship by unearthing the hitherto obscured authorship of actresses like Gertrud Eysoldt (1870-1955) or Tilla Durieux (1880-1971)... [I]t will be an important resource for anyone working on modern German theater.
The Problem of the Actress is both focused and expansive... by focusing on the aesthetic, cultural, and social agency of the actresses, Jackson demonstrates how their lives and careers challenged the limitations not just of small-minded critics, but of otherwise path-breaking modernist playwrights.
This compelling text is written in a clear and accessible style, making it appropriate for use with undergraduate students, yet what is most impressive is its attention to a wide range of genres and its relevance for a wide range of fields. In Jackson's book, there is truly something for everyone.
Anyone interested in modern theater and feminist studies will find both combined in Jackson's book. The book not only offers an in-depth analysis of the challenges and expectations actresses faced in German theater but could also serve as a basis for further discussions on gender, art, and culture.
Wer Interesse am modernen Theater und an feministischen Untersuchungen hat, findet diese vereint in Jacksons Buch. Das Buch bietet also nicht nur eine tiefgreifende Analyse von Herausforderungen und Erwartungen, denen Schauspielerinnen im deutschen Theater begegneten, sondern kann auch aufbauend für weitere Diskussionen über Geschlecht, Kunst und Kultur bedeutsam sein.
The Problem of the Actress is both focused and expansive... by focusing on the aesthetic, cultural, and social agency of the actresses, Jackson demonstrates how their lives and careers challenged the limitations not just of small-minded critics, but of otherwise path-breaking modernist playwrights.
This compelling text is written in a clear and accessible style, making it appropriate for use with undergraduate students, yet what is most impressive is its attention to a wide range of genres and its relevance for a wide range of fields. In Jackson's book, there is truly something for everyone.
Anyone interested in modern theater and feminist studies will find both combined in Jackson's book. The book not only offers an in-depth analysis of the challenges and expectations actresses faced in German theater but could also serve as a basis for further discussions on gender, art, and culture.
Wer Interesse am modernen Theater und an feministischen Untersuchungen hat, findet diese vereint in Jacksons Buch. Das Buch bietet also nicht nur eine tiefgreifende Analyse von Herausforderungen und Erwartungen, denen Schauspielerinnen im deutschen Theater begegneten, sondern kann auch aufbauend für weitere Diskussionen über Geschlecht, Kunst und Kultur bedeutsam sein.
List of Illustrations
Acknowledgments
List of Abbreviations
Introduction
The Problem of the Actress
Actress as Woman, Woman as Actress
Sexy Beasts
Writing Actresses
Dancing in the Abyss
Coda
Bibliography
Index
Index
Acknowledgments
List of Abbreviations
Introduction
The Problem of the Actress
Actress as Woman, Woman as Actress
Sexy Beasts
Writing Actresses
Dancing in the Abyss
Coda
Bibliography
Index
Index