other side of fifty: The Crones Among Us

The playwright can be both a public intellectual and an agent for social change. In this creative dissertation, consisting of a series of essays and a full-length play, I demonstrate an alternative view of aging women to combat the pejorative images now current. Drawing on dramatic portrayals from the past 100 years and current information on aging in the United States, I explore the dominant viewpoint on aging women. Combining the structures of spiritual quest and rite of passage with an appreciation for the ritual that celebrates such events, I have written a play, The Crones Among Us, from a female viewpoint. Presenting female characters as subjects rather than objects, the play provides an alternative view of women on the other side of fifty. Using the archetype of the crone, the play affords a more empowering view of women as they age in a society which has privileged youth and beauty.