ABSTRACT
French writer and feminist theorist Hélène Cixous (b.1937) has made major contributions to 20th- and 21st-century theatre, particularly through her efforts to realize écriture féminine for the stage. Cixous's writings on the theatre, especially since she has been the in-house writer for the Théâtre du Soleil (1980s), develop a coherent dramatic theory. Reading across these critical reflections—not a single manifesto, but an ensemble demonstrating continuity—one can extrapolate a dramatic theory in which theatre becomes a model for hospitality, as theatre artists displace themselves on the journey towards character, and, consequently, embody permeability between the self/Other. Just as her fiction and poetry transgress generic boundaries, Cixous's theoretical writings demand a rethinking of the genre of dramatic theory. Much of this writing deviates from traditional Aristotelian theory by rendering the creative process in a poetic language that captures on the page the energy of creation and performance, as well as the materiality of the stage.
