SARAH BERNSTEIN

This two part study uses monologue and performative portraiture in an embodied exploration of "Karen" meme culture and object-symbols associated with white femininity. It examines spectrums of female emotional display (ranging from subtle to grotesque) and how it causes aesthetics of comedy, tragedy, horror, and realism to intersect.

 

By creating a connection with the original protagonist, Karen, of the fairytale The Red Shoes it raises questions about the nature of female characters who elicit schadenfreude, sympathy, rage, laughter and forgiveness from any given audience. It asks the viewer to contemplate ideas of "tantrum", "hysteria", and "melodrama" and the protections they are given within theater, storytelling and societal status quo.