the three women
One of the elements that makes this a feminist work is the three important, feminist figures that are referenced by the play: Emma Sheridan Fry, Voltairine de Cleyre, and Isadora Duncan.
Emma Sheridan Fry
(October 1, 1864 -
December 1936)
Emma Sheridan Fry was an actress, educator, director, and playwright who developed the concept of creative dramatics, a form of theatre specifically used in educational settings/for educational purposes.
The work that Fry did created a space for children to engage in theatre, but also for theatre to enrich the community.
"Shopkeepers were glad to contribute fabrics for costumes. Mothers and sisters helped sew." --1964 article on Fry
Fry's methodology of performing focused on genuinely reacting to sensory input of the environment in the moment, rather than concocting a performance.
In 1909, Fry formed The Educational Players composed of members from her Children's Educational Theatre organization. The group worked to spread the pedagogy of Fry's theatrical work, conducting "lectures, classes, and demonstration rehearsals and performances" across the Northeast. The Educational Players were interested in establishing Fry's method "as part of the public school system," as well as raising funds to continue their own efforts.
Click HERE for a short 1964 article on Emma Sheridan Fry, Educational Dramatics, and the Children's Educational Theatre.
Fry is referenced both by Emma's character in Fefu, and by Emma's monologue directly inspired by Fry's theatre manual Educational Dramatics. Educational Dramatics. The manual was first published in 1913, documented Fry's philosophies on acting, directing, and teaching theatre that she developed with the Children's Educational Theatre.
While Emma's monologue seems to be heavily inspired by the Introduction to Educational Dramatics, it is certainly not a word-for-word depiction.
For example, Fornes changed Fry's image of a horse to a "Winged Horse." If we interpret this as a modern concept of a Pegasus as depicted in art and literature, a Pegasus represents the "power of the creative spirit" and "a symbol of the soul able to fly beyond the real of the physical life."
Click HERE for a PDF of the first Chapter of Fry's Educational Dramatics.
Voltairine de Cleyre
(November 17, 1866 -
June 20, 1912)
Voltairine de Cleyre was a feminist and anarchist writer, speaker, and activist. Her legacy has not lived on in the same capacity of other anarchists of her time.
De Cleyre spent much of her life living in Philadelphia and teaching English to Jewish immigrants. In Philadelphia, she helped to form the Liberal ladies League, the Radical Library, and the Social Science Club.
As just one of her many beliefs and platforms, de Cleyre believed that "the oppression of women is rooted in the domestic relationship, specifically in marriage and the nuclear family." She believed that women needed economic independence and the end of capitalism in order to reach sexual equality.
In 1902, one of her students attempted to kill her. She refused to confirm the identity of the student who harmed her, and encouraged others to raise funds for her legal defense. Having been shot three times, de Cleyre faced a long, hard recovery process.
In 1908, de Cleyre was arrested for inciting a riot. After being acquitted, she went through a crisis of faith, doubting the potentials of anarchy. She eventually regained her passion for the cause, before passing away in 1912.
Isadora Duncan
(May 26, 1877 - September 14, 1927)
Isadora Duncan is known as the "Mother of Modern Dance." Rejecting the conservative, restrictive nature of classical ballet, Duncan believed in spontaneous, natural, expressive, and creative movement practices.
Duncan was inspired by Ancient Greece, classical music, and nature. Touring through America, Europe, and Russia, her revolutionary ideas about dance and creative movement had lasting effects on the evolution of dance.
Duncan died in a terrible accident in which her scarf got caught in the wheel of her car and strangled her. Unfortunately, the tragic nature of her death is often given a disproportionate amount of attention with considering her legacy as a figure in dance history.
Sources
“About Isadora Duncan.” Isadora Duncan. Last accessed February 13, 2025. https://www.isadoraduncan.org/about-1.
DeLamotte, Eugenia. “Introduction.” The Gates of Freedom: Voltairine de Cleyre and the Revolution of the Mind. University of Michigan Press, 2004.
“Isadora Duncan.” Britannica. Last modified January 11, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Isadora-Duncan.
“Isadora Duncan.” Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2nd Edition. Gale, 2004.
Ohles, Frederik, Shirley M. Ohles, and John G. Ramsay. “Fry, Emma Viola Sheridan.” Biographical Dictionary of Modern American Educators. Greenwood Press, 1997.
“Pegasus.” New World Encyclopedia. Last accessed February 10, 2025. https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Pegasus#:~:text=The%20symbolism%20of%20Pegasus%2C%20the,spirit%20can%20soar%20without%20limit.
Tewksbury, Beatrice L. “Emma Sheridan Fry and Educational Dramatics.” Educational Theatre Journal 16, no, 4 (December 1964): 341-348.
Wilson, H.W., editor. American Reformers. 2nd Edition. Grey House Publishing, 2017.