Cirrus@Austlit

'Suffrage dramatists were united against inequality for women. In A Splendid Adventure, the author argues that the contributions of Australian suffrage theatre were unique because, unlike their British and American counterparts, the dramatists were enfranchised women. They were able to look beyond the narrow question of the vote to consider democracy in the contemporary world and yet their work has been underestimated and overlooked in feminist theatre histories. Smith seeks to redress the balance by examining the works of Australian women writing for the theatre during the suffrage period timeframe of 1890–1920, concentrating principally on three dramatists: Katharine Susannah Prichard, Miles Franklin and Inez Bensusan. The full text of one play by each is reproduced, two of which have not previously been published.'  (Introduction)