Notes from First Meeting of FRG

This term’s first Feminist Reading Group explored Urdu theatre as the first installment of our fall series, “Unheard Voices in Women’s Theatre.” Many thanks to Amber Riaz who not only selected our readings, but also provided valuable geographical, cultural, and political contexts for our discussion.

We began by exploring Jameela Nishat’s Purdah– investigating the text’s complex engagements with issues of voice, embodiment, and spaces of performance. We then connected these issues to the text’s representation of the burqa as a portable architecture that houses voice, body, and performance in multiple (and often resistive) ways.
We also discussed Rasheed Jahan’s Woman, and centred our discussion on the text’s querying of women’s property rights.

Please join us for our upcoming meetings. Each meeting will take place from 11:30-12:30 in UC 282, and all the readings are available in the Feminist Reading Group folder in Leanne’s office (UC 180).

November 12 – Native Canadian Theatre
Discussion led by Allison Hargreaves
Reading: Annie Mae’s Movement by Yvette Nolan, and “Writing About Anna Mae Pictou Aquash” by Devon Abbott Mihesuah.

December 3 – Harlem Renaissance Theatre
Discussion led by Ann Gagne
Reading: Rachel by Angelina Weld Grimké