an evening of semi-immersive chamber music, poetry, and dance examining femmephobia, both historical and contemporary

Tales of feminine “madness” and “hysteria” have persisted in Western history, art, and culture for hundreds of years. Women, whose only value lay in their relationship to male desire, were forced into a narrow role in order to become subservient. This was most actively seen in attacking the mental states of women, and stifling any chance for ascension of the femme. 

In the time of Shakespeare, women were either given the title of whore or saint. Their presence in places of holy worship or decision-making was seen as a threat, and the slightest expression of pain or dissent could easily have them killed or institutionalized. 

The fear of femme and all it embodies has been present in Western cultures since their inception, and has become a foundational quality of other forms of oppression, which include white supremacy, classism, and colonialism among many others. What in previous times was just prescribed to the western idea of “woman” today has been thrust upon all intersectional expressions of gender outside of the masculine ideal. As our understanding of the complexities of gender identity in Western culture has grown more nuanced, more complex embodiments of femininity and gender expression have blossomed. 

Additionally, the long crusade against “feminine” qualities such as gentleness and vulnerability continue to hamper our ability as a people to grapple with insidious patterns, both internally and societally. Keeping femininity narrowly defined and subdued has always been a powerful tool of the patriarchy. 

Through exploration of music and texts spanning many years and vastly different lived experiences, The Fragile Femme seeks to validate and uplift not only our natural responses to suffering of femme individuals, but also illuminate the strength that exists within those historically “feminine” qualities. We as a society will find liberation in embracing the powerful qualities of the Fragile Femme — vulnerability, empathy, sensuality, softness — while imagining the abundant possibilities for femmes of the future.

This program includes works by long-established American composers including George Crumb, Jake Heggie, and Augusta Read Thomas, new favorites like Annika Socolofsky and Sarah Kirkland Snider, and three world commissions by up-and-coming composers Loren Greer, Christopher Bell, and Emily Boyaijan.

Additionally, this project seeks to raise funds for Grace Smith House, Poughkeepsie, to provide tangible financial support for women who have been uniquely privy to the violence and repercussions of femmephobia.

VIEW PROGRAM | VIEW PRODUCTION PHOTOS

Music by Micah Gleason, Joanne Evans, Elias Dagher, and musicians from The Orchestra Now. Stage direction by George Miller, choreography and dance by Matilda Sakamoto, Kevin Zambrano, and Becca Hoback

December 6, 2021 | 7pm | Senate Garage Kingston

The Fragile Femme is a LOAM project