Women and the Lighthouse: Performance Text Adapted from Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse

Abstract

Women and the Lighthouse is a performance text adapted from To the Lighthouse, a novel by British author Virginia Woolf.  To the Lighthouse is an important work that explores human consciousness from inside the characters’ minds.  Its story revolves around the Ramsay family and several of their house guests, the idea of a trip to the lighthouse, and the passage of time.  Inspired by the original novel, Women and the Lighthouse was written in free verse in the form of a collage and focuses on Lily Briscoe’s story and the relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Ramsay.  It was performed as a movement piece by Crescent Moon Theatre at the Bangkok Theater Festival in November 2019.  The performance text was written by the author of this article.  This article discusses the writing process of Women and the Lighthouse and the inspiration behind it.  It explores some key concepts presented in the performance text, namely the influence from poetry, the stream of consciousness, the voices in one’s head, the notion of the self, and the presence of the lighthouse.  The performance text expands from the novel by creating spaces and images that can be heard, felt and seen, while leaving ample room for the audience’s interpretation and imagination.