Woman writes woman: A way through the labyrinth using the model of écriture féminine to create a feminist methodology for adaptation and direction for the theatre

Hélène Cixous’ call for women to write themselves— “Woman must write woman”— has been a guiding principle in my feminist adaptations of classical myths. Inspired by her concept of écriture féminine, a fluid and poetic writing style rooted in the female body, I created a case-study theatre performance Monstrous Woman in 2022 and developed a methodology grounded in corporeal writing, symbolic imagery, dreamlike fragmentation, emotional excess, polyvocality, and dramaturgical mapping or gridding. I embraced the open-ended nature of most of these practices as feminist. This approach acknowledges and critiques traditional structures that have marginalized women in theatre. The labyrinth becomes both a metaphor and a method—an affective, non-linear path requiring emotional awareness, resilience, and critical reflection. By rewriting myth, I aim to reveal the embedded inequities of the past and reimagine them for contemporary feminist theatre. My work contributes to a global feminist map, offering tools and waypoints for others navigating similar creative and political terrain.