Shattering the Victorian Woman Stereotype

The actresses playing Gwendolen and Cecily in UMass Amherst’s production came into rehearsals with a very strict idea of what a proper Victorian woman would and would not do. As the dramaturg (someone whose responsibilities include researching the play’s time and place), the director was able to use my research to help shatter some of these rules when it turned out that they just were not accurate, freeing the actors up for dramatic possibilities beyond their expectations. Here are some of my discoveries!
—Anna Norcross

A VICTORIAN WOMAN WOULD:
● Shake hands with another woman
● Daintily cross her legs when seated
● Flirt with her fan (from “Courting the Victorian Woman”):
● Fan fast—I am independent
● Fan slow—I am engaged
● Fan with right hand in front of face—Come on
● Fan with left hand in front of face—Leave me
● Fan open and shut—Kiss me
● Fan open wide—Love
● Fan half open—Friendship
● Fan shut—Hate
● Fan swinging—Can I see you home?

ONCE ENGAGED, A VICTORIAN WOMAN WOULD EVEN:
● Hold hands with her fiancée in public
● Stroll alone with him in public
● Ride alone with him
● Visit alone behind closed doors, but never overnight!
● Permit his hand around her waist
● Allow a chaste kiss

A VICTORIAN WOMAN WOULD NOT:
● Adjust her hair or make-up in public
● Kiss or embrace in a public place
● Walk alone
● Accompany a gentleman alone without her mother’s permission
● Accompany a gentleman late at night
● Ride in a closed carriage with a man who was not her father, guardian, husband, family member, or betrothed
● Receive a man in her home without a family member present
● Address a man to whom she had not been introduced

Fun Facts

■ Approximately 800 feet of cable was run for the sound design system’s speakers.
■ The magnets in the hanging center cluster of speakers in the theater weigh 66 pounds each.
■ All sound clips were edited on PC using Cool Edit Pro.
■ 12 hours of music and 2 1/2 hours of sound effects were listened to during the selection process.