Autobiography and Identity. Performance as Research

Authors

  • Rakel Marin Ezpeleta UAB

Keywords:

experimental theatre, identity, Basque, autobiographical theatre, women artists, affects, contemporary society, culture, research/creation

Abstract

Which aspects of cultural and personal identity most influence current theatrical
creation? How are certain signs of identity configured in a mise-enscène
and how does the audience perceive them? How can artistic research
inform a doctoral study on identity? The thesis project “Identity Configurations
in the Contemporary Experimental Basque Theatre Scene” is developed
based on these questions with a cross-disciplinary framework that
encompasses the historical, sociological, psychological and anthropological
approach to the object of study plus comparative case studies and, among
them, the PhD candidate’s own artistic research.
The article focuses on comparing two examples that highlight certain
identity aspects relevant to the subject and the methodological approach
of the doctoral thesis project. I will compare the experimental work of two
women: Rakel Mazón and her durational performance Raketa Brokobitx on
the rocks and Rakel Ezpeleta, the writer, and her contemporary cabaret Erbeste.
Although very formally different, these two pieces share some characteristics:
a questioning of the identity of their creators, the use of an alter ego
to overcome traumatic experiences related to their experience as women,
and the empowerment of the actresses — now authors — through the direct
interaction with the audience.
These cases will be used to reflect on cultural identity and the personal,
related to a certain feminist and de-colonialising criticism. Moreover, these
ideas are linked to the pertinence of Performance as Research (PaR) as the
ideal methodological focus to confront the conceptual challenges of an open
project like this.

Author Biography

Rakel Marin Ezpeleta, UAB

Rakel Marin Ezpeleta has a BA (Hons) in Art History from UPV/EHU and a MPhil in Performance
Studies from UAB and IT . She is currently PhD candidate at UAB with the trans-disciplinary project
Identity Configurations in the Contemporary Experimental Basque Theatre Scene. She combines professional
work as performer with theoretical research: in 2007-09 she was awarded grants from KREA to
conduct a study on contemporary Basque theatre historiography; during 2012-13 she was a Research
Assistant to Project Barca, lead by Dr. Henry Daniel (SFU-Vancouver). Member of IFTR since 2013 (in
PaR WG and NSF).

References

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Published

30-01-2019

Issue

Section

Analysis