This course will use the reconstruction of Evelyn Brown, a movement piece by María Irene Fornés, to interrogate questions of female labor and its portrayal on stage. Fornés, arguably the most important Latina dramatist of the 20th century, sourced Evelyn Brown from the diary of an early 20th century New England domestic servant. The class will explore the relation of Evelyn Brown to Fornés’ larger body of work and lead to deeper questions about staging mundane labor as performance during our time when labor inequality has grown exponentially. Our final project will be a first step to re-staging this little-known work in a professional venue.
Students with an interest in dramaturgy, directing, dance and theater may find this course particularly rewarding.
Learn more about the important and influential playwright and theater maker María Irene Fornés. A national conference focused on Fornés and her work was held at Princeton in 2018 by The Fornés Institute and the Latinx Theatre Commons. At that conference, a pledge was made to restage Fornés’ important work, Evelyn Brown. This course will be an exciting first step in fulfilling that pledge. Be a part of this important project!
