No palco, o teatro das oprimidas apresenta: uma crítica feminista ao papel das mulheres nas artes cênicas e na sociedade

Abstract

Studies on gender stereotypes within the structure of society have been a topic of social movements and academic research since the 19th century, where various doors have been opened through questions about being a man and woman in society, privileges, and lack of opportunities, structures of power and submission. It is interesting to observe that, through the analysis of theater history, it is also possible to see how performing arts have been, since antiquity, a space for modeling behaviors and actions that favor the masculine as a parameter of power, dominance, and artistic talent, where men embody the main characters. The few women who wished to take to the stage were seen as worthless, vulgar, and marginalized by traditional society. However, even in the 19th century, we find female figures who transgressed the oppressive rules of society and showcased their talents in theater. In the second half of the 20th century, inspired by feminist movements for gender equity and/or new critical epistemologies on the representation of social roles, with a strong critique of gender disparities in everyday relationships, feminist and black theater groups emerged. And in the following century, the 21st, the Theater of the Oppressed Women was born. Thus, this dissertation analyzes how the Theater of the Oppressed Women, which emerged in 2009 in the city of Rio de Janeiro, incorporates the proposals of Feminist Theater into its practices, based on bibliographical research. In this way, the study not only describes how women have participated in Brazilian theater up to the experience of the Theater of the Oppressed Women, but also compares the differences and similarities of this type of theater with the proposals of Feminist Theater. The analysis highlights the influence of race and class markers as intersectional categories to emphasize the importance of theatrical productions.