We spoke to cátia faísco, the Portuguese playwright who wrote the script for the show performed by a Montenegrin cast as part of the Sexual Theatre – Feminist Readings of Classics project.
cátia faísco is a teacher and researcher at Universidade do Minho, where she currently teaches Dramatic Writing and Dramaturgy for the Theatre degree. She is a coordinator at NIEP (Research Group in Performance Studies). She finished her doctorate in Theatre Studies (FLUL) with a thesis about sexual desire in British contemporary dramaturgy. Her research area contemplates also the in-yer-face period, specifically Sarah Kane’s work. As a playwright she wrote “Percentil Perfeito”, which was selected for Leituras no Mosteiro (TNSJ), and “Abstinência de Purpurina”, presented at Espaço das Gaivotas.
The Sexual Theatre – Feminist Readings of Classics project, which is part of the Braga 25 programme, is the result of cooperation between Portugal, Bosnia and Herzegovina, France and Montenegro. It aims to develop a feminist reinterpretation of literary classics from these countries, through the creation of new shows which, during this year, will be travelling to these countries in festival format.
Braga 25 (B25) – What motivated you to be part of the Sexual Theatre project?
cátia faísco (cf) – What I liked most about this project was the opportunity to take classics and rewrite them from a feminist perspective. This deconstruction, and the fact that I was able to work with women from other generations and cultures, sparked in me a desire to blur boundaries in a society that is still so patriarchal.
B25 – What do you think of the representation of women in Portuguese literary classics?
cf – For many years, I refused to read Portuguese literature. I’m not embarrassed to admit it because, in truth, I did it because I didn’t feel represented. At school, what we knew about literature was so formatted, so chewed up, so closed off to other interpretations that I refused to give in to this system. Women writers appeared almost only as footnotes or as supplementary reading, but never as the centre. How could I feel represented in classics whose portrayals of women were those fragile figures, without autonomy, who depended on men or appeared as their temptresses? When I look at this representation of women, I see years of guilt and emotional restraint, portraits that have endured in the light of a cheap moralism, showing how literature drinks so much from life and gives it back in a dusty reflection.
B25 – How important do you think European projects like this one, which seek to tackle difficult subjects through artistic and creative processes, are?
cf – I think it’s extremely important for more projects like these to emerge, not only because of the type of experience and learning that those who take part have, but also because of the approach that is taken to themes that are sometimes not easy to work on with the audience. The proposals made by the artists are challenging and the transformation of this central object into artistic material can contribute to more multidisciplinary readings. The sharing between artists and the way in which so much strength and support can emerge from such thematic contexts is also salutary.
B25 – As an author, how present is this theme in your work?
cf – The place of women in society, and all the issues inherent to the female universe, is something I think about every day, not just as a woman, but as an artist and teacher. It’s impossible for this not to be present in my work, whether in a more conscious or unconscious way. I remember, for example, a monologue I wrote about a woman who decides to fake a pregnancy because of the pressure she felt.
B25 – What challenges have you felt and still feel as a woman and an artist?
cf – I think it always takes more effort to assert myself as a woman and as an artist. As if I had to constantly prove my work. Or my existence! Even in projects with a more feminist base, I still notice that there’s a lot of mansplaining and that tires me out. It makes me frown. And we all know the theory, but applying it, well, that’s another story. I’ve also noticed that, even in more collaborative projects, the designation doesn’t always correspond to what happens, as if some people’s work is more important than others’. As a woman and an artist, I have often felt male condescension when giving opinions or presenting proposals, and so I feel that we still have a long way to go when it comes to parity in the arts.
B25 – How would you describe your experience at the various residencies you took part in in the Balkans?
cf – I remember talking about my experience in the Balkans in an academic paper, and a colleague pointed out that I was moved by some of the stories I heard during the residencies. She said that this also happened in Portugal, so I had to be careful how I expressed myself. I always find this policing of other people’s feelings curious, of what others should feel and how they should express themselves. The truth is that I’ve lived a very different experience to my own and, even though I’m aware of the Portuguese context, it’s hard not to get emotional when you hear a woman say that her father always called her ‘son’ and not daughter, or when they talk about selective abortion. It’s as if being born a woman was a curse. Sharing all these themes with my colleagues has given me the feeling of a strong network of women who listen to and respect each other. I also learnt that Balkan food and I are not best friends!
B25 – From the work you’ve done in the Balkans, how do you think these contexts relate to the Portuguese reality? What are the most important similarities and differences?
cf – Although there are many historical and cultural differences between the two countries (Portugal and Montenegro), I feel that, especially among the younger generations, westernisation and the digital world are contributing to a standardisation of the way women live and the pain they share. In both Portugal and Montenegro, there is still a lot of pain, shame, silence, and guilt, although sometimes it can be more disguised. Perhaps in the Balkans I felt this rawness more. Especially when it comes to the relationship between fathers and daughters. But in both countries, there are still many highly sexist views that are deeply rooted and need to be fought on a daily basis.
B25 – What result and/or impact would you like Sexual Theatre to have?
cf – In an ideal world, I’d like the message we’re trying to convey through the four texts and shows to reach the public, for them to understand our vision, and for them to take this journey with us. The classics are important, they are part of our history, but we need to read them critically and in light of times that were horrible for women. It would be important for this step we are taking to give us the chance to break down a few more bricks in this patriarchal wall.
You can get to know cátia better in the episode of Braga 25’s videocast “O Lugar” (“The Place”). Watch it here.