Presenter: Jess Pew
Authors: Jessie Pew
Faculty Advisor: Tony Gunn
Institution: Brigham Young University
In recent decades, there has been an ongoing conversation revolving around the portrayal of women in film and theatre, when literature typically has been written by a very androcentric perspective. In film and theatre, men (particularly white men) still vastly outnumber women in terms of leading and featured roles, and on average receive far more screen and stage time. Some writers and producers try to subvert this trend by gender-bending roles in classic and cult films, such as in the 2016 and 2021 reboots of Ghostbusters. However, this approach has faced fairly significant criticism: many believe that more effort should be put into creating roles that originate as women. Arguments can be made that franchises such as a the “female Ghostbusters” continue to play into androcentrism, because the original male characters will forever be seen as the default. This paper explores adaptations and original works by women and centered on women in film and theatre, and how female-centric, rather than female-adapted, works provide a less androcentric perspective in storytelling and performance. Notably, in many works, such as Daddy Long Legs (2017), Wonder Woman (2017), and Little Women (2019), men need not be excluded from the narrative for a story to remain effectively and powerfully feminine. Furthermore, in these same works, it can be argued that, when written and performed well, the inclusion of supporting male characters can strengthen the overall focus on the female main character(s).