Hysterical

Posted: Friday Feb 25, 2022

A two-woman, feminist poetry show which confronts the narrative that women are too emotional and celebrates the hysteria in all of us.

Witness the world premiere of Hysterical at Dunedin Fringe ahead of the nationwide tour, as internationally acclaimed poets Carrie Rudzinski and Olivia Hall reunite after the success of their previous show, How We Survive. Rudzinski is an award-winning poet, published author, and teaching artist and Hall is a celebrated poet and performer with a Masters in Gender Studies. 

Women are frequently told they are too emotional - too hysterical - to be taken seriously, to be leaders of countries and companies, to be believed when pointing to their own hurt. Hysterical challenges these myths with poetry that confronts body politics, systemic sexism, and weeping uncontrollably in the supermarket. 

Hysterical intertwines social issues and personal stories to create a performance that is both confronting and accessible, powerful and needed. By weaving their voices together in duet, Rudzinski and Hall deliver a powerhouse performance encouraging the audience to laugh, cry, and experience emotion together. 

"Successfully falling short of perfection, Hall and Rudzinski have created a near-masterpiece of imperfection – a window into the specific worlds of two women, raw flaws on show, unabashed and rightfully unapologetic." - Theatre Scenes 

Fierce, feminist, and fulfilling, Hysterical celebrates the multitudes of women and will leave you feeling empowered and alive. 

Hysterical plays: 

Dates: Thursday March 17th - Saturday March 19th at 6:00pm
Venue: Emerson’s Festival Theatre
Tickets: https://www.dunedinfringe.nz/events/hysterical 
Price: $20 / $15 For media enquiries, please contact Carrie and Olivia at howwesurvivepoetryshow@gmail.com