Read more
Australia led the world in the achievement of woman's suffrage and the nation's cultural history reflects this ambitious and progressive atmosphere. The impressive achievements of suffrage feminists in Australian theatre, however, are an untold story, as is their contribution to the development of international women's theatre of the time. A Splendid Adventure brings these experiences and experiments to light through a group biography exploring the theatrical careers of Katharine Susannah Prichard, Stella Miles Franklin, and Inez Isabel Bensusan. Chosen because of their expatriate involvement in the women's movement, their international profile as enfranchised Australian women, and their exceptional contribution to both the development of Australian drama and international feminist theatre, these women embody the energies and passions of Australian suffrage playwrights. The biographies of these major figures are accompanied by the dramatic stories of the New Women playwrights, the theatrical endeavours of women university students, and a consideration of international feminist theatre on tour in Australia, including the work of migrant suffragette Adela Pankhurst. The volume also includes the full text of a play by each playwright. Australian suffrage playwrights emerge from this study as exceptional feminists, expatriates, and theatre workers, whose «splendid adventures» have considerable implications for international women's theatre, feminist dramatic criticism, and Australian theatre historiography.
List of contents
CONTENTS: Suffrage Theatre and the Women's Movement: A Short History - Edwardian Feminism on Tour: International Suffrage Theatre in Australia - Dramatic Negotiations: The New Woman, Women's Colleges, and Cultural Anxiety - Katharine Susannah Prichard: Socialist Desire and Suffrage Theatre - Stella Miles Franklin: The Suffragette Speaks - Inez Bensusan: Activist and Aesthete - The Glass Curtain: Suffrage Theatre and Feminist Legacy - Katharine Susannah Prichard: The Burglar - Inez Bensusan: The Apple - Stella Miles Franklin: Somewhere in London.
About the author
Susan Bradley Smith is a poet and historian interested in cultural expatriation and feminist explorations of love. Associate Professor of Creative Writing at Curtin University in Perth, Australia, her recent books include the poetry collection Gladland and the writing and wellbeing memoir Friday Forever.
Report
«The most original and substantial contribution that this book makes to women's and theatre studies is in excavating the international dimension of the suffrage theatre movements. This whole area has been neglected, particularly within Anglo-American studies. The contribution to international feminist studies - not just theatre studies - will be considerable.» (Professor Vivien Gardner, University of Manchester)
«The originality and strength of the work lies in the exploration of the contribution of Australian dramatists to the international suffrage movement. This contribution has been overlooked by previous scholars who have underestimated the possible ramifications of these dramatists' status as enfranchised women.» (Emerita Professor Julie Holledge, Flinders University)
