Dramatic Literature, Criticism and Theory Commons^™

Theatre Of The Uncanny: Lesbian Theatre And The Uncanny Valley Response, Gina Marielynn Hanson

Theses Digitization Project

This thesis contends that the notion of an uncanny valley can be extended to explain the lack of lesbian presence in the traditional dramatic canon. Because mainstream theatre audiences are unfamiliar with lesbian dramatic representation, lesbian theatre often provokes an uncanny valley response in general audiences and this negative response leads to little commercial success for lesbian plays. This project examines how both the reading of lesbian dramatic literature and the performance analysis of lesbian plays can offer insight into those dominant cultural tenets that not only oppress lesbians in everyday society, but also contribute to their erasure from academic …