Abstract

Wendy Wasserstein brings together both theatre and feminist studies to create theatre that is for and about women. My thesis consists of two parts, both of which center on the works of Wendy Wasserstein. The first part, a scholarly paper, examines the themes of empowerment, self-fulfillment and alienation that Wasserstein presents in her plays. These themes are explored in five of her most familiar plays. I have centered The Heidi Chronicles as the epitome of her works and examine the other four in reference to this play.

The second aspect of my thesis is the staging of 7 scenes from her various plays. These scenes come from Uncommon Women and Others, Isn’t It Romantic, The Heidi Chronicles and one monologue, from Plays for Actresses, “The Workout”. In these scenes I hope to highlight the themes presented in the scholarly part of my thesis. This aspect of my thesis will culminate in a performance in Theatre West on May 1, 1999.