GÜÇ AĞININ HER YÖNE YAYILMASI: SARAH KANE'NİN CLEANSED ADLI OYUNUNUN DELEUZE VE GUATTARI FELSEFESİYLE OKUNMASI

1990'lerde İngiliz toplumunda hüküm süren kültürel, politik, ideolojik ve sosyal değişiklerin etkisiyle İngiliz tiyatro sahnelerinde yeni bir akım doğdu. Bu akım değişik bir sürü tanımla adlandırılsa da “in-yer-face tiyatrosu” tanımı daha yaygın olarak kabul görmüş ve daha kapsayıcı bir kavram olarak görülmüştür. O zamanlar İngiliz toplumunda meydana gelen değişikliklere açık tepki olarak öne çıkan yeni oyun yazarları, memnuniyetsizliklerini, topluma uyumsuzluklarını, nezaket sınırlarını ihmal etmeyi ve geleneksel teatral tasvir ve tekniklerini çarpıcı imgeler kullanarak yıkmayı amaç edinirler. In-yer-face tiyatrosunun bir parçası olan Sarah Kane, savaş alanı gibi zorlu şartlarda ayakta kalma mücadelesi, güç dengesizliği, savaşa karşı kayıtsızlık, materyalleşmiş aşk ve seks, toplumsal cinsiyet ve kimlik politikaları ile toplumda artan tüketim gibi birçok konuyu eserlerinde islemiştir. Üçüncü oyunu Cleansed karakterlerin toplumsal uyuşmazlıklarına karşı onları sözde disipline edip eğiten, boğucu ve tutsak edici bir eğitim enstitüsünde geçmektedir. Öğrencileri toplumsal uyum sınırlarına indirgeyerek, istek ve bireyselliği yok eden yaygın ve baskıcı Batı eğitim sistemini eleştirirken, Sarah Kane dişi/erkek, ben/öteki, kurban/kurban edilen, beden/akil, baskılayıcı/baskılanan, masum/suç isleyen, doğal/doğal olmayan normal/normal olmayan ahlaklı/ahlaklı olmayan ve akıllı aklı başında olmayan gibi toplumsal değerlerin dayandığı ikili düşünce sistemini yıkmaktadır. Oyunları çoğunlukla geleceğe karşı karamsar ve çaresizlik içeriyor gibi değerlendirilse de bu makale onun Cleansed oyununu Deleuze ve Guattari nin pozitif ve yaşamı onaylayan felsefesiyle değerlendirilecektir. Bu değerlendirme, Kane'nin sabit kimlik anlayışı, süregelen cinsellik normları ve bedenler üzerine atfedilen toplumsal cinsiyetler üzerine sorular sorması bakımından oyunu değerlendirmede yeni bakış açıları getireceğine inanıyorum.

A WEB OF POWER CIRCULATING IN EVERY DIRECTION: DELEUZE AND GUATTARIAN READING OF SARAH KANE'S CLEANSED

During the 1990s, a new movement on British stages emerged owing to the cultural, political, ideological, and social changes prevalent in British society. Despite the multiplicity of denitions loosely attributed to this movement, the term “in-yer-face theatre,” appears to be more commonly well-received and more encompassing. As an overt reaction to the changes taking place in British society at the time, newly emerging dramatists express their disillusionment, nonconformity through transgressing the bounds of purported decency in theatre, subverting conventional dramatic representations and techniques with the use of striking and challenging imagery. Belonging to this in-yer-face oeuvre, Sarah Kane, has given voice to several contemporary issues, including survival under harsh conditions like in war zone, indifference and desensitization to war, the power imbalance both in public and private spheres, commodied love and sex, gender and identity politics, as well as growing consumerism and repercussions in the society. Her third play Cleansed 1998 takes place in a stiing and captivating educational institution where characters in the play are allegedly disciplined and trained by violence against their unconformities. While criticizing the prevalent oppressive educational system that diminishes desire and unique individuality by seeking to subjugate students to the limits of conformity, Sarah Kane topsy-turvies dualistic thoughts based on societal norms between female/male, self/other, victim/victimized, body/mind, inside/outside oppressor/oppressed, victim/perpetrator, natural/unnatural, normal/abnormal, moral/immoral, and sane/insane. Despite the proclivity to interpret her plays fraught with pessimism and hopelessness towards future, this article recontextualizes her play Cleansed using Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari's positive and life-afrming philosophy, which I believe, will open up new alternative visions in the articulation of her play with regards to the question she raises about the xed nature of identity, long-standing norms of sexuality, and gender inscription on the bodies.

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