Gendering Taboos: 10 Short Plays by African Women
Ten new short plays by African women tackling taboo topics on identity, gender, sexualities, family relations and power.
Following the international success of Contemporary Plays by African Women, this new collection is the next step in the African Women Playwright Network (AWPN) both showcasing and encouraging the development of new work.
Consisting of the ten winners of the AWPN's international writing competition, this collection is centered around the theme of 'Tackling Taboo Topics in African Female Writing', originally performed as staged readings at the AWPN Festival hosted by the University of Ghana in 2022. Selected from 75 submissions from nine African countries, these plays speak to contemporary and pressing issues, illuminating lived experiences of African women that are common but seldom discussed.
An important resource for schools and universities looking to diversify and decolonise curricula and engage with short works for practical classes, performances and auditions from a range of various cultures, Gendering Taboos is also an invaluable tool for programmers looking for new work and scholars working specifically in areas of gender and dramatic criticism.
Dr. Yvette Hutchison is Professor in Theatre & Performance Studies, part of SCAPVC at the University of Warwick. She heads the steering committee of AWPN.
Dr 'Tosin Tume is a Senior Lecturer of the Department of Theatre and Media Arts, Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Nigeria. She is on the steering committee of AWPN and was Festival Director for these plays in Ghana 2022.
Dr. Ekua Ekumah is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Theatre Arts, University of Ghana, and Artistic Director of Abibigromma Resident Theatre Company, University of Ghana, Legon. She was on the local organising committee for this festival.