Reductio ad absurdum: A practice-led study of an absurd play
Date of Award
2023
Document Type
Thesis
Publisher
Edith Cowan University
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts Honours
School
School of Arts and Humanities
First Supervisor
Donna Mazza
Second Supervisor
Aksel Dadswel
Abstract
This thesis, entitled Reductio ad absurdum, comprises a practice-led creative work in the form of a one act play script, and an accompanying exegesis. The creative work, titled Don’t fit me no more, is written in the ‘Theatre of the Absurd’ genre and will take approximately 40 minutes to perform. The play is speculative in nature and is set at a suburban railway station. It is the near future in which the patriarchy has been violently overthrown in a revolution known as the Uprisings, which now allows people to express their individual genders and sexualities freely. There are five principal characters: Jordan Simms, a cisgendered gay male; Ruby Mercedes, a drag queen; Thunderbird Fire-hydrant, a genderless neuro-divergent AI/human hybrid; Sarmi, who is gender non-binary; and Reece, a trans woman. Don’t fit me no more draws upon contemporary Queer theory, Feminism, existentialism, surrealism, the carnivalesque and the grotesque to present its speculative vision of a disquieting and potentially problematic future.
The exegesis critically engages with the play script and the creative process that produced it. Firstly, it defines, and explains how each of the different theoretical perspectives and approaches are employed to convey the play’s story and intended meaning. Secondly, the exegesis describes the author’s creative process and practice, the reasons behind specific creative choices, and the challenges experienced during this decision-making process. Artificial intelligence and a focus group were used as an experiment in co-authorship. The exegesis will explain and discuss the reasons for their inclusion, as well as what they have contributed to the overall creative writing process. Lastly, the exegesis documents the author’s personal insights, findings, and conclusions acquired during the creative practice of writing a play.
DOI
10.25958/8f62-4k17
Access Note
Access to this thesis is embargoed until 14th March 2029.
Recommended Citation
Macleod, A. J. (2023). Reductio ad absurdum: A practice-led study of an absurd play. Edith Cowan University. https://doi.org/10.25958/8f62-4k17