I am a joint Ph.D. student in Romance and Languages and Literatures, and Theater and Performance Studies. My current research centers on the powerful tool of female solo performance in France. I am interested in the ways this genre provides a unique platform for women to stage their inner lives, challenge traditional gender norms and subvert the male gaze. Through an exploration of the understudied yet vast repertoire of women's solo performances in French and Francophone contemporary theater, I focus on female playwrights who write and perform their own solo shows using storytelling techniques. My dissertation highlights four main examples of contemporary women's solo performances, demonstrating how these performances offer a rich terrain for exploring the social and political construction of gender identities. I examine how female solo performance can provide a subversive space for women to express their experiences of marginalization, challenging dominant narratives and offering alternative perspectives.
Learn more about Lou's work in her profile from the UChicago magazine, Tableau.