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Towards a methodology to mitigate the operation of implicit gender bias in theatre production: Three contemporary stagings of Julius Caesar

Hall, Isla Lindsay (2022) Towards a methodology to mitigate the operation of implicit gender bias in theatre production: Three contemporary stagings of Julius Caesar. Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) thesis, University of Kent,. (doi:10.22024/UniKent/01.02.95681) (KAR id:95681)

Abstract

This thesis proposes a method for mitigating the operation of implicit gender bias in theatrical storytelling, but which can be applied to television and film productions as well. A modified version of the linguistic methodology, Feminist Post-Structural Discourse Analysis (FPDA), is initially used to analyse three case study productions of Julius Caesar in chapters one to three. Understanding the role of social narratives (stereotyping) which link gender with personality and behaviour, offers an insight into the subliminal adoption and transmission of these narratives from within production choices - even where choices might explicitly appear to challenge these narratives. The case studies examined demonstrate how casting, performance, and production choices can operate independent of a common text, meaning that the performance of the same character in the same scene can be influenced by and transmit vastly different gender biases. Chapter one interrogates the casting process, revealing that gender is divisible from character. In chapter two I demonstrate that an actor's nonverbal tactics are analogous with leadership styles and, using FPDA, argue for a more varied repertoire of nonverbal behaviours to mitigate the influence of gender bias in performance choices. Entry points for bias in the audience's journey are considered in chapter three, where a template of common pitfalls and creative solutions is offered.

These findings are then developed into the interactive online toolkit, Conscious Creativity. This site offers active strategies for dismantling bias at each stage of the production process using research into the effectiveness of unconscious bias training. The development process is discussed in chapter four. Limitations are acknowledged alongside the steps taken during this study to mitigate the personal bias of the researcher. In line with FPDA this is a small scale study with a transformative agenda. The potential impact of Conscious Creativity is explored in the conclusion.

Item Type: Thesis (Doctor of Philosophy (PhD))
Thesis advisor: Shaughnessy, Nicola
Thesis advisor: Brooks, Helen
DOI/Identification number: 10.22024/UniKent/01.02.95681
Uncontrolled keywords: Theatre; Casting; Gender; Performance; Performativity; Shakespeare; Performance Implicit Bias; Feminist Post-Structural Discourse Analysis
Subjects: P Language and Literature > PR English literature
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Arts and Humanities > School of Arts
SWORD Depositor: System Moodle
Depositing User: System Moodle
Date Deposited: 06 Jul 2022 09:10 UTC
Last Modified: 26 Jul 2022 11:35 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/95681 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Hall, Isla Lindsay.

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