Explanatory Narrative (Week 10)

Explanatory Narrative
Women and the Arts at Kalamazoo College (Working Title)

Antonio became Antonia. Gonzalo became Gonzalia. Adrian became Adrienne. Most importantly, Prospero became Prospera. Kalamazoo College put on the usually male-dominated production of The Tempest, but instead replaced the males with females, showcasing the powerful women of the campus, determined to show what feminism and the arts is really about.

“The Tempest is Shakespeare's most male-heavy play and there's only one woman, Miranda, and she's not one of Shakespeare's strongest female roles. This means that suddenly we've created a world in which women hold positions of great power, and the tyrannical Prospero is now a strong female matriarch. In this way, I feel that we've done our part to reclaim The Tempest for feminism,” said Laura Fox the senior dramaturge for the play.

Fox and her fellow cast mates have made strides in cementing the female role in the arts on Kalamazoo College’s campus. Although Fox said that the theater department is very open to females (the majority of the directors have been females in the past), she feels that this play certainly opens up new ideas of the female role and hopes that this is spread to the campus. “I don't think the theatre department harbors any biases against women and I'd say that it's an exceptionally feminist department. But in terms of our campus, I'd say that women are still fighting an uphill battle,” said Fox.

Along with Fox and the theater department, other such contributors to the arts have made impacts for the women on our campus. Rachel Silander, a senior music major, focused her entire Senior Individualized Project (SIP) on music and sexual taboos, starting with the oppression of women in the 1920’s. “I think women have to struggle a little bit more and be a bit more talented in order to live up to the [music] standard whereas men who may have a decent voice are more likely to go farther as long as they are entertaining,” said Silander. Given these divides, she wanted to find a SIP that would explore these struggles for women in the music industry, especially those in musical theater.

Although the music department is heavily female-weighted, Silander believes that women can always work to make a mark in the arts, such as music. “Music gives a sense of power for women. They can gain a lot of respect from it. With two women's singing groups on campus I think it also creates a sense of solidarity among women that you can't necessarily find elsewhere on our campus,” she said. These women are working together.

Not only are they working together within departments but with other departments as well. Silander, as a music major not a theater major, mentioned The Tempest when describing examples of how women are taking back the arts at Kalamazoo College. This is exactly what Fox wanted with the play—to make an impact on the entire campus with a fight for feminism, not just the theater department. “Ask most men (and even women) about their thoughts on feminism, and I don't think they would have very nice things to say. It's still a very misunderstood concept, not only at K but everywhere, and I know that feminists on campus don't necessarily feel that their voices are being heard. So maybe they should give our theatre a try,” exclaimed Fox.

Like Fox, Laura Marshall, a senior art major, feels that the arts are a good way for women to express themselves. “The art programs on our campus may attract more females but that makes sense given the gender breakdown in general. But I don’t think this should stop women from excelling and trying even harder to make a difference in the arts, especially on such a small campus. The more exposure the better,” she said. “I even see my art major working hand-in-hand with my psychology major at times. We discuss a lot of women’s studies in our Feminist Psychology class so I often bring up my work in the arts. It’s not just about within our departments but all the women in the arts programs working with the entire campus.”

One of the main events that each female mentioned, that seeks to unify the campus and the women involved in our arts is The Tempest. “In Shakespeare's time, women weren't even allowed to act, so men and boys played all the roles. Now, of course, there are more images of women onstage, although not always flattering or strong ones. Our production of The Tempest seeks to rectify this and create strong female roles out of historically male roles. It's pretty exciting to be in the audience as a woman, then, and see these incredibly powerful and three-dimensional women onstage,” said Fox. This play has positively affected the women on our campus, and Fox, Silander, and Marshall all hope it has done the same for men.

Whether theater, music, or the arts in general, the women on Kalamazoo College’s campus agree on one thing: equality. No matter the art, each woman strives for equal acceptance and equal representation. They all understand that this is not the current situation in societies, so their actions to propel Kalamazoo College in the right direction have been necessary and beneficial for all.