REPORT ON 5TH INTERNATIONAL WOMEN PLAYWRIGHTS' CONFERENCE ATHENS, OCTOBER 2000 by Helen Shay

INTRODUCTION

The conference was held at the University of Athens, 1st to 5th October 2000, moving to the European Cultural Centre at Delphi 6th to 8th October 2000. The Conference Convener was Roberto Uno. The organising committee comprised seven women, mostly based at the University or at the Ministry of Culture. It was chaired by Aliki Bakopoulou, whose energies, together with those of her right-hand woman, Maria Triantopoulou-Capsaskis, made the conference possible. Everyone involved worked on a voluntary basis. Support was given by many organisations such as The Hellenic Centre of ITI, the British Council, the Cultural Section US Embassy, Athens, and many Greek theatres.

BACKGROUND

The conference is held every three years. It was originally started in Buffalo, New York, USA, in 1988. The idea for the gathering originated with Anglo-American playwright Kathleen Betsko. Women dramatists met to discuss their profession, their playwrighting craft, their position as women in theatre and in society, their perceptions of social and political realities and their visions for the future. Participants included leading playwrights, some being the first women ever to write for their own country's theatre.

The International Center for Women Playwrights was then set up in Buffalo. A second conference was held in Toronto, Canada, a third in Adelaide, Australia and a fourth in Galway, Ireland. The next Conference is to be held in Mexico in 2003.

After the fourth conference, Women Playwrights International Inc was set up. It aims to further the work of women playwrights around the world. One of its functions is to preserve the convening of triennial conferences.

FORMAT

The conference opened - quite grandly - at the Ceremony Hall of the University of Athens. The main venue for conference events then moved to the University's School of Philosophy in the Faculty of English Studies.

Most mornings began with a Keynote Speaker, followed by a panel discussion on a particular issue led by invited, distinguished panellists. In the afternoon seminars, workshops, presentations and rehearsed readings took place. Later came a matinee performance of a short play by a delegate from a particular country. The programme officially closing at 7pm each day, but there were evening performances of other plays written by participants, staged at local theatres in Athens.

CONTENTS

THE THEME of the conference was Er0s Theatrau - which translates as love for theatre, but the Greeks, of course, recognise with several different words different types of love. In this context, a special blend of passion for theatre is intended. This was echoed in a poem by Maria Traintopoulou-Capsaskis dedicated to the conference:

"Empty my mind and soul of all unnecessary words…
Send me dreams and visions that may haunt me, passions that may burn me, insight that may destroy me and let me taste the calmness that follows a storm… "

SPEAKERS

The calibre of the speakers at the conference was excellent.

The first day began with Louise Page, playwright, Britain. Just as Britain was ratifying the Human Rights Act (with its emphasis on liberties and everyone's right to a trial in a language he or she understands). Louise wished to concentrate on matters here and now, within an international context. She spoke of the traditional attitudes to women (such as in the area of mental health), and to women playwrights who were now 'showing their teeth'. Her view was that in Britain at present, women's writing was hugely unpopular as part of a certain 'backlash' and that the networks were not there to support women writers. Louise also spoke passionately of the need to give people voices, linking with her own work in community drama, in which she likes to be a 'writer in evidence'. This has led her to write at a check-out in the Tesco supermarket, Leicester, on a have-lap-top-will-travel basis. This forms part of the 'Hear, here' project, where she asks for stories of their personal inner journeys from members of the public, especially in a multi-racial society such as Leicester. She types up the stories, but it is an inter-active process where people can watch and chip in. These stories may then be worked into a community play.

Marie Louise O'Donnel, producer and director, based at Dublin City University, Ireland focused her talk on the importance of writing for voices. She quoted Seamus Heaney - 'The voice is a present. The written is an absence, until it is delivered.' She explained her work in developing the Dublin City Speech Choir, a unique company of actors working with orchestrated sound, and gave an example of how they had interpreted a particular piece from Medea. Questions from the floor suggested that much of this had some parallels with native Canadians' preparation of their traditional own poetry.

Timberlake Wertenbaker, playwright, Britain shared with all at the conference, an awareness of being in the place where drama began. She focused on the influence of the Greek myths, particularly on women playwrights, as reflected in many of the plays being read or performed at the conference. She raised the question of what women writers offered which differed from the male interpretation. She felt that the Greek playwrights had unleashed certain ghosts which still haunt us. These included the powerful women characters they had created, such as Electra, Antigone and Medea. She felt that these were 'unappeased ghosts', which may link with the theory held by some that they really came from an earlier matriarchal tradition. In her view, women dramatists were still writing about haunted and haunting women. One example was Virginia Woolf, the subject of a play by Cypriot writer, Monica Vassilou, a panellist at the conference. Timberlake pointed out how most of the classical Greek women characters just vanish at the end, and are unresolved - Medea most of all. (The author of this report, having recently seen Liz Lockhead's acclaimed version of Medea, can add that this is certainly born out in that interpretation.) Timberlake compared the treatment of such women in early drama with modern situations, in particular that of Sarah Cane, whose ghost she feels haunts British theatre following her suicide. Timberlake felt that, in an atmosphere of disillusionment which we often feel today, we can go back to these female Greek archetypes. The way in which we appropriate them must not aim to calm these ghosts. She urged us to call them up and live with them. She felt that it was women's time to speak, with a need to find the ability to appeal to and stay within the unresolved.

Deepa Mehta, Indian/Canadian film-maker, was another inspirational speaker. Her fearless determination to create the work she believed in (or 'give up and be a cleaner') flowed into all her address. She told of how she opted out of 'development hell', even though the Canadian government offers film subsidies (available to Deepa, now married to a Canadian) but only provided its particular procedures (often long-winded) are followed. She felt that avoidance of this 'development hell' was the only way to preserve the vision and passion of the piece and not see it watered down. She was lucky in gaining some private funding, leading to a successful film, which then in turn funded the next. She made the internationally acclaimed films 'Fire', 'Earth' and 'Water' (no plans apparently for 'Air'). 'Fire' became controversial in India because it featured two Indian sisters-in-law who became lovers. Deepa is now a sort of female Salman Rushdie, having angered Hindu fundamentalists. However, many Indian women stood up for freedom of expression over this and began questioning who the men were in their society to tell them this film was too offensive for them, as Indian women, to see. Mehta also gave a fascinating insight into how she works with colour, mainly after finishing a first draft. Colour is used to enhance the vision of the piece - for example 'Fire' is mostly shot in the three colours of the Indian flag, with no blue anywhere in the film, 'Earth' is predominantly red and terracotta, and 'Water' has lots of indigo. She stressed the need for place and a sense of identity as a writer - 'Be as particular as you can. Be honest… Then emotions are universal.'

PANEL DISCUSSIONS

The Panel Discussions ranged from global topics like Freedom of Expression to those relevant to internal matters such as 'Do we still need a Women Only Conference?' One discussion concerned the Layering and Texturing of Hidden Lives, with panellists Rosemary Keefe (playwright, USA), Sandra Shotlander (playwright, Australia), Deepa Mehta (film-maker, India/Canada), Angela Costi (playwright, Australia) and Christiana Lambrinidis (playwright, Greece).

One of the most moving parts of the conference came from the discussion on Freedom of Expression. Ratna Sarumpaet (playwright, Indonesia), Diana Raznovich (playwright, Argentina) and Monica Vassiliou (playwright, Cyprus) were the panellists. (It had been hoped also to bring a Russian woman playwright to this, but it had not been possible, but was hoped it would be for the next conference. The lack of Eastern European presence, mainly due to funding-needs and practical obstacles, is something the organisers very much want to address.) All three panellists had suffered repression because of their writing.

Ratna had been imprisoned for two years for a play she wrote about the murder of a woman labourer who went on strike for better conditions, under an unjust regime. Ratna joined the movement which led to the eventual overthrow of that regime, though conditions are still not ideal. She had found the International Women Playwrights' Conference a great support when she was in prison, particularly hearing that they were presenting some of her work, then banned in her own country.

Monica too had suffered imprisonment for her writing, and the Chair of the conference had kept in supportive contact with her (this was contact between a Turkish Cypriot and a Greek!) The issue of freedom of expression united all present. Experience of suffering was recounted by delegates, such as from Indonesia, the Caribbean and Mexico.

Delegates from countries like Britain were able to say that they enjoyed relative freedom, but valued it all the more for hearing of those who did not. It was however agreed that it was not so simple as to say that some women were free and privileged and others were not, because we all have our own fights, with a need to get work out and available. The conference helps in this respect through its bulletins, e.g. publicising a relevant international competition in Vienna that many would not otherwise know about, and also through pressurising publishers to do their part. The debate on whether the need continued for a women-only conference sparked discussion about the aims and nature of the conference. One man was present, Gordon House, Radio Drama Director, BBC World Service, and contributed constructively and tactfully. Views ranged from staunch opposition to male presence, to welcoming men in a listening capacity and calling for more male speakers and guests in future.

WORKSHOPS AND SEMINARS

A vast range of workshops and seminars were presented, from Dance Theatre Workshop by Gash/Voigt Dance Theatre to Female Dramaturgy in Latvian Theatre.

One particularly deserving of mention was Writing and Workshopping for Youth by Sandra Shotlander and Sheela Langeberg, Australia. Sheela demonstrated her story-telling/drama/dance mixture of techniques, derived from African culture, which she uses in visiting primary schools in the Outback. What is Lesbian Theatre? was led by Lyn Hayes, playwright, USA and covered topics such as concern at a right-wing backlash experienced by gay writers in parts of America, with similar experiences in other places such as South Africa and Turkey (despite the old Ottoman empire apparently having had a strong lesbian tradition). A presentation on Antigone: Symbol of Woman's Dignity and the Contemporary Sense of Tragedy by Mari Lambadaridou-Pothou, playwright, Greece provoked rigorous debate on the difference between ancient and modern tragedy.

REHEARSED READINGS

Again a very stimulating range of work was presented. Feelings amongst playwrights whose work had been selected for this, were mixed as to the quality of the staging. In general, English-speaking Greek actors were used, provided by the conference. Some playwrights had brought their own actors. (An Australian teacher had somehow managed to bring along her whole drama class. They performed a large-cast play about drugs, under-age sex and UFOs - which just goes to show teenagers are the same the world round.) Needless to say, the few male actors present were in great demand. Sometimes, playwrights with acting skills lended assistance.

The author of this report had a piece read which was partly about the English class system. The two main female parts (both working-class English characters) were played by a young Greek actress (Evangelia Andritsanou, who was brilliant) and a New Zealander who was also required to sing (and did so perfectly).

Overall, the readings showcased a global diversity of talent, and participants were able to learn from the forms of writing being developed in different cultures. Many useful contacts were formed. Some plays were picked up by the BBC world service representative, with a view to possible broadcast.

PERFORMANCES

The performances were also very diverse and fascinating. To give a flavour, mention should be made of Gash/Voigt Dance Theatre's performance, Mystics, in which the lives of medieval religious women were explored through dance/physical theatre. Also notable was The Girl Who Wanted to be God written and performed by Karen Corbett, Rosemary Johns and Brenda Palmer, Australia. This was a surreal, lively and moving interpretation of the life of Sylvia Plath, and is now likely to feature in the Dublin festival, due to a contact formed at the conference. Other treats were Purapurawhetu by Briar-Gray Smith (a Maori from New Zealand) and, on the last night, a performance from Electra by leading Greek classical actress/director, Lydia Coniordou.

OVERALL EVALUATION

Some of the organisational aspects of the conference might be criticised. However, the content gave over-riding endorsement of its value. The conference provided many learning opportunities as regards drama in general, together with scope to develop work, network and form important contacts. It also gave a forum for women playwrights to share, compare and debate concerns as writers, whether artistic, social or political. The conference itself can act as a force to promote women's playwrighting, particularly by offering support to those restricted under the economic conditions or regimes of their native countries (such as was the case, for example, with Ratna Sarumpaet of Indonesia, during her imprisonment).

As a working lawyer, as well as writer, the author of this report found it tremendously stimulating both artistically and in relation to fundamental issues, such as freedom of speech. (Several contacts were made may link into Yorkshire Playwrights' current work with Amnesty International.) It was possible to gain (literally) international feedback on work and develop it with the benefit of perspectives, often far beyond any usual or intended audience. Furthermore, bonds were formed with unique and inspiring individuals (such as an award-winning Italian playwright whose writing has deepened during a fight against cancer, and a Tasmanian who wrote a drama to help stop female circumcision amongst villagers). There was a general feeling of being 'worlds together' rather than apart, and such an experience can only strengthen the writing of any dramatist.

Helen Shay
Yorkshire Playwrights
October 2000