b'T3 Journal - Student Writing in Drama, University of Exeter 2020-21 Susannah BramwellWays in which Anne Charlotte Leffler and Elizabeth Alter, Iska (1989), Betrayal and Blessedness: Explorations of Feminine PowerinRobins tell their own story and the implications of The Crucible, A View from the Bridge, and After the Fall, Feminist Rereadings of Modern American Drama, ed. June Schlueter, Rutherford, JG: Farleighthe pen being in a womans hand Dickinson University Press. This essay was submitted for the module Women in Theatre.Brown, Lloyd W., 1974. Tituba of Barbados and the American Conscience:Historical Perspectives in Arthur Miller and Ann Petry. Caribbean Studies,Essay13(4),pp.118-126. Susannah BramwellDemirkaya, Neslihan Ylmaz. (2015) Scapegoating Non-Conforming Identities:Witchcraft Hysteria in Arthur Millers The Crucible and Caryl Churchills VinegarTom. Journal of History Culture and Art Research 4 123-135. Digital Theatre Plus (2014), On Directing: Yal Farbler.Feminist women playwrights of the late nineteenththeir plays were both successful, and political. Thompson Fortier, Mark (2016) Theory/Theatre: An Introduction, London: Routledgeand early twentieth centuries broke with tradition andargues that the thrill of energy is a chief characteristic of innovatively created new aesthetic principles with regardsmelodrama (816). Braddon demonstrates extreme energy Gilbert, Helen and Tompkins, Joanne (1996) Introduction: Re-acting (to)to genre. Consequently, the pen being in their hands hadin the murder of George Talboys, whose death occurs in a Empire,in Post-colonial Drama: Theory, Practice, Politics, London: Routledge, pp. 1-14.radical political implications: that being the advancementmere 6 lines: of the fight for womens rights. I will argue that Anne Miller, A. (1952) The Crucible, ed. Susan C.W. Abbotson. Bloomsbury. Charlotte Leffler conveyed a compelling feminist critiqueLADY A. Ah! (with a wild exclamation she suddenly Miller, D. Quentin. (2007) The Signifying Poppet: Unseen Voodoo and Arthur in her play True Women (1883), but Elizabeth Robinsbrings / her hand holding the poniard from her dress; Millers Tituba. Forum for Modern Language Studies 43(4) 438-454.through Votes For Women (1907) brought both aesthetic andturns rapidly on / TALBOYS and stabs him ; he utters a Sarmiento, Melissa Luc (2015), Deconstructing Gender Identities in Nicholas political implications to greater significance with the usecry, staggers back against / the wall of the well; the wall Hytners The Crucible.of her pen. Bennett explores Jauss concept of a horizongives way with a crash, and he / disappears, falling down Tun, Tanfer Emin (2013). The Healer and the Witch: Sexuality and Power inof expectations (48) whereby earlier textual references areinto the well; LADY AUDLEY throws / her poniard ArthurMillers THE CRUCIBLE. The Explicator 71 266 - 270. needed for texts to be comprehensible (ibid). Leffler andamongst the brushwood and hurries off (17) Robins both used melodramatic conventions expected by audiences, and radically rewrote them in order toThe desperation of Lady Audley, and the speed in which provoke support for their causes. To effectively analyseTalboys is despatched creates a strong sense of energy how these women utilised generic expectations I will beand movement; the audience would be left whirling in examining the melodrama Lady Audleys Secret (1863), bythe aftermath of such extreme theatricality. An actor is Mary Elizabeth Braddon, adapted by William Suter for theprovided with extremely active stage directions to incite stage. I would argue that Leffler and Robins are some ofsuch speed of movement. Thompson confirms that a the women Paxton claims were inspired by their politicalskilful builder of melodramatic plays would deliberately beliefs (Methuen Drama VII) and chose to use the theatreengineer dramatic effect like this to ensure a startled to represent and debate the contemporary issues thataudience (818). For melo-dramatists the reason to create concerned them [their plays] are written to be heard, tosuch plot[s] of surprise (ibid) was to create sensation, communicate an idea and to provoke thought and inspirewhich Braddon certainly does with Talboys murder. I action (ibid). would argue this key melodramatic characteristic of energy is also present in True Women. For example, Leffler shows Breaking expectations to form new aesthetic principlesextreme energy in the scene where Mr Bark emotionally was also crucial as women wanted to show themselvesmanipulates Mrs Bark to give him back control of her as initiators rather than imitators (Paxton, Methueninheritance. Leffler follows this exchange with snappy Drama ix). In 1916 Brander Mathews wrote we find in thelines: works of female storytellers not only a lack of largeness in topic but also a lack of strictness in treatment (120).MRS BARK. Just tell me what I must do! / BARK. Where Powell labels this as a tendency to define playwriting sois that infernal deed? / MRS BARK. I dont know. / as to exclude women (79) and that good plays by womenBARK. Has Berta gone to the bank? / MRS BARK. No, could be explained by [their] masculine style (80).not yet (33). Nevertheless, Leffler and Robins were among the women who did write good plays in their own styles, and whoThe monosyllabic words create a sense of energy similar to wrote them in a way that utilised genre traditions to ensurethe speed seen in melodrama. Moreover, shortly after this 26 27'