Theatre and #MeToo: 'There's a new anger in women's stories'

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The Weinstein scandal has inspired several new plays ranging from sharp satire to crass comedy. As the mogul heads to trial, we gauge theatre’s response

Katie Arnstein tells a story of a day at drama school when a tutor told her to perform her graduation show in a bra “because I’m a blonde with a big chest”. It is one of several experiences that informed Arnstein’s solo show Sexy Lamp, performed at the Edinburgh fringe this month. The title comes from writer Kelly Sue DeConnick’s theory that, if you can replace a female character with a lamp and the story still basically works, maybe you need another draft.

Arnstein wrote her play, which features shocking revelations about auditions and casting call notices, because she felt so galvanised by the #MeToo movement that followed the numerous allegations of rape and sexual assault levelled at Harvey Weinstein since 2017. (Allegations he continues to deny in the run-up to his trial in September.) “I was inspired by the strength shown by people who have called out abuse in the acting industry,” Arnstein says. “This play is my version of the #MeToo story, my journey of being an actor and the challenges I continue to face because of my gender.”

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from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2U86LRT

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