Performing Femininity. Carmen - Good Ship Lollipop: A solo performance

Abstract

In the tradition of queer fringe theatre, Carmen - Good Ship Lollipop: a solo performance was written by a queer playwright, with a queer message for a queer audience. The play was devised by drawing on Queer Theatre practice and methodology. The following thesis details the process I undertook to create Carmen - Good Ship Lollipop: a solo performance. The story was created using biographical content already in the public arena. The play is about the public life of the late Carmen Rupe, New Zealand’s most famous transsexual. A historical perspective of men performing as women, or more fittingly, femininity performed by those other than female is presented by drawing on literature of this genre. The place of the solo performer and the combined roles of the actor, director, and producer are explored. Definitions of queer theatre and female impersonation are presented and issues of imitation, innovation and authenticity discussed. The first methodology section details the choice of the particular playtext, the scriptwriting process, and dramaturgical analysis of Carmen – Good Ship Lollipop: a solo performance The second methodology section details the ‘script to stage’ production process. The development of the rehearsal script and the decision to limit the rehearsal period to one week is discussed. The plays evolution in terms of style and structure is presented. The conclusion analyses the final product: to what extent Carmen - Good Ship Lollipop: a solo performance is faithful the Queer Theatre genre, successful as a performance piece, and reactive enough to be relevant. What further development could be applied in order to perform a future season.