Performance: Everything Was Beautiful And Nothing Hurt

The Hysteria Series is an evolving program of devised performances exploring the world of being an “incurable woman.” The series resulted from our research and exploration into a) the stories of women in psychiatric hospitals diagnosed with hysteria, (such as documents from the Salpêtrière asylum for incurable women); b) the role of photographing these women in establishing the practice of psychology; c) the evolution of “symptoms” that were once considered religious experience, then signs of witchcraft, then symptoms of mental illness; d) the portrayal of women and their emotions in theatre, film, and television; e) the way the public discourse on mental health has changed following the 2020 pandemic and shutdown; f) and the prevalence of social media in shaping how we now express ourselves and connect with others. By bridging this little-known historical record with contemporary issues we are inviting the public to take stock of where we have been and where we are now, in order to ignite questions about where we are heading. Performances will showcase new work in this series including a new piece titled, Everything Was Beautiful And Nothing Hurt.