Submission Date

7-21-2022

Document Type

Paper

Department

Theater

Faculty Mentor

Meghan Brodie

Comments

Presented during the 24th Annual Summer Fellows Symposium, July 22, 2022 at Ursinus College.

Project Description

In the course of studying LGBTQ topics in a queer drama class, I noticed that there was a glaring omission in our readings: the “B.” However, this lack of bisexual representation wasn’t due to a poor syllabus, but to a dismaying lack of bisexual representation in theatre as a whole. This observation, as well as my own experience as a bisexual woman, motivated me to use my love of writing and theatre to fill the void. After performing in Pride and Prejudice at Ursinus, I knew that Jane Austen’s story was the key to me bringing visibility to an underserved, misunderstood, and often forgotten community. What better way to make bisexual women main players on the stage than to adapt an early feminist piece? My project endeavored to answer the following questions: “How can a writer use an old story to shine new light on modern issues?” “What kind of representation are bisexual women missing in theatre?” “What changes are made in Pride and Prejudice adaptations, what elements remain the same, and why?” “How does a writer modernize a classic tale and make it queer while still retaining the most important themes?” My goal is to write my own two-act play: a version of Pride and Prejudice that is modernized, “genderbent” (Mr. Darcy becomes “Miss Darcy,” for instance), and features queer characters. I will continue to revise the script as a part of a proposed interdisciplinary honors project in English and Theater during my senior year.

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