The birth of Magdalena - II. Magadalena ´86: the first meeting.

"The first International Festival of Women in Experimental Theatre took place in Cardiff in 1986 and proved a tremendeous success. It provided a rera eopportunity to sample some of the best international innovative work, demonstrating the immense talet of the women involved. Fifteen countries were represented by thirty women, each of whom had been invited on the basis od her contribution to theatre in her own country, whether she was working within a company or as a solo performer. Thi srichly illustrated volume docuemtns the unique event and offers insight into the origins and organisation of the workshop, probes into the problemns of authority and power relations within this group of women, recordsa individual training sessions and presents short profiles of each performer. Th einception of an on-going Magdalena Project based in Cardiff is then charted. The earliest of the subsequent conferences and festivals show how the idea developed, and the progress of the Magdalena Proects is followed up tu the successful 1988 European tour of NIminatae Filiae. Finally, the author explores in depth some of the fundamnetal theoretical issues, which emerged during the Festival and afterwards, relating to women´s theatre and more generally to the state of experimental theatre in Europe and the Americas." solapa