 |
| Holly Twyford stars in Signature Theatre's Sex with Strangers |
The first show to grace the ARK stage at Signature Theatre this fall is none other than Laura Eason's, Sex with Strangers. Under the direction of Aaron Posner, actors Holly Twyford and Luigi Sottile bring this sexy, provocative and intimate play to life in the intimate theatre. The show itself explores what happens when private stories and moments between two people become a part of the public domain and the consequences.
Both Twyford and Sottile's characters, Olivia and Ethan, are writers. However, what these two characters choose to write about and their approaches to writing are distinctly different. While Olivia is more rooted in traditional approaches and topics in regards to writing, Sottile's Ethan veers away from the traditional in favor of the edgier and more modern "Fratire".
(Warning that some of the content of the attached links may not be safe for work or for younger audiences.)
The Emergance of Fratire
Fratire is a genre of 21st century literature marketed to young men in a politically incorrect and overtly masculine fashion. The title of the genre gained notoriety following the popularity of works by George Ouzounian (writing under the pen name Maddox) and Tucker Max. Described as a satirical celebration of traditional masculinity, the genre has been criticized for allegedly promoting sexism and misogyny.
The genre generally features male protagonists, usually in their mid-twenties to thirties. The style of literature is often characterized by masculine themes and could be described as the male equivalent of "chick lit." The genre was originally popularized by Tucker Max's I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell and Maddox's web page titled The Best Page in the Universe and his book The Alphabet of Manliness.
 |
| The cover of Tucker Max's I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell |
The term fratire itself is aimed to classify male-centric books that focus on alcohol and sexual themes in regards to a younger 21st century audience. Publishers continue to push the genre as a sales tactic in hopes of driving up sales. After the initial success of books published by Maddox and Max, the media attempted to capitalize on the trend with new iterations of the word, including "lad lit," "frat-lit" and "menaissance."
Response to Fratire
Not all people are happy with the existence and emergence of fratire. Melissa Lafsky of The New York Times described the genre as "misogyny for sale." Lafsky wrote that fratire authors were profiting by fueling young male anger concerning societal demands for equality. In a Salon.com interview, Ouzounian said his writing was a nostalgic parody of old-fashioned masculinity and that society had moved too far forward to return to those concepts.
What do you view the emergence of the fratire genre as? A regression to old-fashioned sexism "presented under the veil of irony?" A movement towards greater overall equality in media and literature?
Sex with Strangers runs October 14th to December 7th in the ARK Theatre. For more information please visit our website or call the box office at 703 820 9771. Follow Sex with Strangers on social media with #SigStrangers
0 comments:
Post a Comment