As I read her words, Solanas’ mandate to take action seemed to reach through the page and latch onto a creative instinct within me. I encountered the SCUM Manifesto in this academic context and recognized it as a fascinating foil to the non-revolutionary, reformist feminist pieces that were typical of the time period. Despite its general unpopularity at the time of publication, the manifesto endures as a text of academic interest and as a crucial centerpiece of modern radical feminist discourse. With its aggressive and unapologetic tone, SCUM represented everything that they assumed and despised about the allegedly man-hating, bra-burning second wave feminists. Upon inspection of the apathetically violent and bitter document, critics were appalled, and many used it as an excuse to demonize the entire feminist movement. The manifesto and the author herself gained public attention after Solanas was arrested for the attempted murder of artist Andy Warhol in 1968. It additionally proposes a deconstruction of capitalism, the institution of an automated society, and a rejection of sexuality. The SCUM Manifesto is a document written by Valerie Solanas and published in 1967, recognized primarily for its radical feminist and misandrist themes. I recommend reading the text of the play before engaging with the following section in order to understand the relevance of this explication within the broader context of the production. In this explication, I will describe the meaning behind some of my choices and why they matter to the stage realization of the SCUM Manifesto. The characters, general setting, and other theatrical details are of my own creation, but the majority of the set design, dialogue, and themes are taken directly from Solanas’ work.

“Manifested” is a short play based on the SCUM Manifesto by Valerie Solanas. Key Words: radical feminism, violence, theater, script, play Accompanying the play is a detailed explication that provides a history of the document, describes how my creative decision-making was tied to the manifesto, and outlines the specific passages that shaped the direction of “Manifested.” The explication also highlights how I encountered the SCUM Manifesto and details my experience of attempting to create a play that is true to Solanas’ vision for the future of feminism and of society. The characters, general setting, and other theatrical details within the play are of my own creation, but the majority of the set design, dialogue, and themes are influenced by and based on the text of the manifesto. “Manifested” is a short play based on the 1960s radical feminist text, the SCUM Manifesto by Valerie Solanas.

The scum manifesto