The role of women in the performing arts

Women in different artistries discuss the female impact on the performing arts

ABIGAIL CAVZIO / ASST. A&C EDITOR / THE USD VISTA

Lights, fame, applause, and beauty —these are the common words associated with women who aspire to have a career in the performing arts. However, women within the arts are more than just performers. To enjoy the arts properly, it should also be understood in its whole form instead of revolving around only the performers. Behind the one performer, there is a whole team of people who go uncredited. This also means highlighting the artists in marginalized communities, including the expulsion of harmful gender stereotypes that come with being a woman in the arts.

Historically, men were the revolutionary creators while women are patrons, simply just the observers who give money to their favorite forms of entertainment. There’s a negative connotation to a woman’s role in performing arts, but it’s important to remember that being a patron of the arts is just as important as being a creator. For example, many men relied on female support and their labor as patrons to fund their artistry. In general, the performing arts should be viewed in its entirety, which includes a community of patrons, performers, composers, and many other invisible roles that contribute to the behind the scenes. Pieces should no longer just be accredited to one name. 

Dr. Charissa Noble, USD professor within the music department, explained the harm behind gendering labor. Dr. Noble shared that feminine labor is seen as less important, while the more ‘important’ labor is gendered masculine. 

“A big part of the feminist project is not to force more women to do composition, but it’s to take down the systems based on false gender binaries,” Dr. Noble said. “The more we focus on how music has always collaborative, the more we’ll see women throughout history.”

Dr. Noble expressed awe toward Betty Freeman, a trailblazer for the arts that may have gone unnoticed for her artistic vision. 

Freeman was willing to take a risk by giving money to marginalized composers who were oftentimes overlooked by other major music institutions. Similarly, Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge was another leading female patron of the early twentieth century. 

Without her, arts organizations would not be able to legally have joint private and government funding. She lobbied in Congress for the rights of arts organizations to have as much assistance as they needed from multiple sources. 

USD sophomore Julianna Zheng is a music composition major. She credits a lot of her inspiration to her mother’s constant support, but she has yet to find a woman within her artistry that she can look up to. Due to the lack of well-known female names within the composition field and because all her teachers were males, Zheng feels a lot of pressure to consistently prove herself, especially as a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Person of Color) woman. 

“Women have such unique perspectives and it’s so important to have a platform to show how we feel—which is why I’m pursuing music composition,” Zheng said. “You just have to tell yourself to do it and disregard gender because people will notice your hard work and the art’s passion will speak for itself.”

As a member of both choirs, with performance as her emphasis in the music major, USD sophomore Angelique Brown does not deny that the performance aspect is largely female-led. 

Brown attributes a lot of admiration toward Milena Kitic, the lead woman in a majority of the operas Brown has partaken in. Kitic was Orange County’s local star, but has now sung all over the world in various opera houses. She still keeps in contact with Brown, pushing her to focus on music and opera as an artform. 

To Kitic, opera should be viewed as a beautiful masterpiece, rather than just a ‘party trick’ to show off a cool skill to others. 

“Most composers and conductors have been male and those are the ones that not only got attention, but also got carried on through history and became the great works we know today,” Brown said. “For example, female composer Clara Schumann has made amazing work, but is nowhere near as famous as the men of her time.” 

Brown also described the pressure that comes with being a female performer. Since this field is typically female, it’s a lot harder for a woman to get into the industry. Women are put against each other to compete for their parts, rather than celebrating one another. 

Instead of focusing on climbing the ranks, women should empower one another and focus on what’s really important: the creation of beautiful works. 

For the women wondering if they can ever make a name for themselves within their desired artistry, founder of the San Diego Asian Film Festival, Lee Ann Kim, rejects the idea of fame as a primary goal for this line of work. 

Referring to herself as an amplifier of the arts, Kim wanted to create a safe space for Asian Americans who are truly passionate about their creations. Society has created a revolving door of female stars forced to constantly reinvent themselves to stay relevant. 

These are the ones who get caught up in the hunger to do better than their last project and need to learn how to be at peace with themselves on a spiritual level. 

“There is a huge danger in allowing our art to identify who we are, but that’s not who we are—our hearts should identify who we are,” Kim reflected. “We should allow ourselves to be inspired, but we can’t forget to connect with your inner-self and ask, ‘What is my story? What is my creative space?’” Kim is greatly inspired by Japanese-American actress, Tamlyn Tomita, who is most known for her role as Kumiko in the Karate Kid. 

Kim admires not only Tomita’s art and creativity, but also her commitment to giving back to the community. Even though Tomita holds fame because of her artistry, she and Kim keep up with one another and uplift each other as Asian American women. Tomita is Kim’s example of a woman who cares deeply about the innovative, impactful side of the arts and its effect on her community. 

Although not all women have the same journey as one another within the broad field of the performing arts, most can agree that the gendering of their art is harmful. 

A true artist, no matter their gender identity, is devoted to the creativity behind their work. This does not mean to disregard the unique voices of women, but instead, should augment people’s understanding of their art. Ultimately, art is a fascinating gift to both the artist and the audience.