Act as a Feminist

Act as a Feminist maps a female genealogy of UK actor training practices from 1970 to 2020 as an alternative to traditional male lineages. It re-orientates thinking about acting through its intersections with feminisms and positions it as a critical pedagogy, fit for purpose in the twenty-first century. The book draws attention to the pioneering contributions women have made to actor training, highlights the importance of recognising the political potential of acting, and problematises the inequities for a female majority inspired to work in an industry where they remain a minority. Part One opens up the epistemic scope, shaping a methodology to evaluate the critical potential of pedagogic practice. It argues that feminist approaches offer an alternative affirmative position for training, a via positiva and a way to re-make mimesis. In Part Two, the methodology is applied to the work of UK women practitioners through analysis of the pedagogic exchange in training grounds. Each chapter focuses on how the broad curriculum of acting intersects with gender as technique to produce a hidden curriculum, with case studies on Jane Boston and Nadine George (voice), Niamh Dowling and Vanessa Ewan (movement), Alison Hodge and Kristine Landon-Smith (acting), and Katie Mitchell and Emma Rice (directing). The book concludes with a feminist manifesto for change in acting. Written for students, actors, directors, teachers of acting, voice, and movement, and anyone with an interest in feminisms and critical pedagogies, Act as a Feminist offers new ways of thinking and approaches to practice.

Lisa Peck is Lecturer in Theatre Practice at University of Sussex and Associate Tutor at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. She has worked in drama education for over twenty-five years as a teacher educator, in universities and drama schools and as a consultant for The National Theatre and Digital Theatre Plus. She researches pedagogic practices in actor training in relation with feminisms, working at the intersection between social science and humanities.

Introduction Part 1: Shaping a Methodology 1. Feminist Underpinnings in Acting: Re-Making Mimesis 2. Feminist Interventions: Via Positiva and Critical Acting Pedagogy Part 2: Considering Practice 3. Women and the Matter of Voice 4. Women and the Matter of Movement 5. Women and the Matter of Movement 6. Women and the Matter of Directing Conclusion