| Title | 13. Intersectionality |
|---|---|
| Contributor | Anika Marschall(author) |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.11647/obp.0469.13 |
| Landing page | https://www.openbookpublishers.com/books/10.11647/obp.0469/chapters/10.11647/obp.0469.13 |
| License | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ |
| Copyright | Anika Marschall |
| Publisher | Open Book Publishers |
| Published on | 2025-10-24 |
| Long abstract | This chapter explores the methodological challenges and possibilities of applying intersectionality to the analysis of contemporary performance. It revisits Kimberlé Crenshaw’s foundational work in legal studies and critical race theory, particularly her focus on the structural discrimination faced by women of colour in the US legal system. The chapter reflects on how her contributions have influenced broader discussions of social identity, power, and exclusion, while also cautioning against the appropriation and dilution of intersectionality in Western European humanities contexts. Emphasising its relevance for theatre and performance studies, the chapter underscores intersectionality’s analytical value in confronting structural omissions related to race, identity, and representation. Drawing on feminist and critical race theorists such as Mari J. Matsuda and Anna Carastathis, it outlines practical strategies—including self-positioning, contextual analysis, and ‘asking the other question’—for integrating intersectionality into performance methodologies. The chapter concludes with an application of this approach to a performance analysis of Being Pink Ain’t Easy by Joana Tischkau, highlighting how intersectionality can help interrogate institutional aesthetics and the dynamics of power in performance production and reception. |
| Page range | pp. 271–292 |
| Print length | 22 pages |
| Language | English (Original) |
Anika Marschall (she/her) works as Assistant Professor in Performance, Institutions and Societal Transformation at the Department of Media and Culture Studies at Utrecht University, where she coordinates the MA Contemporary Theatre, Dance and Dramaturgy programme. Her research focuses on theatre, migration and social justice, and she engages with questions of political representation in/through performance. Her research monograph Performing Human Rights: Artistic Interventions into European Asylum was published with Routledge (2023).