Behind the Sheet

by Charly Evon Simpson

Description

An important medical breakthrough has a shameful history. In 1840's Alabama, a slave-owning doctor performs medical experiments on involuntary subjects - enslaved women - in an effort to solve the problem of fistulas, a post-childbirth anomaly. As the experiments proceed, and he gets close to a solution, the women try to survive and even find dignity in the face of inhuman treatment. Includes conversations with playwright Charly Evon Simpson and Dr. Deirdre Cooper Owens, author of Medical show more Bondage: Race, Gender and the Origins of American Gynecology. show less

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MickyFine 1,530 reviews

A play exploring the history behind the development of the surgery to repair fistulas (a complication that occurred after childbirth), which was largely developed by a white doctor in the South who experimented on female slaves with the condition. Simpson centres the roles of these women in the work of the doctor as they were not only subjects of his surgical experiments but also provided assistance during the procedures. Exploring not only the horrors of pre-Civil War medicine and surgery and the awful realities of slavery, the play also delves into the importance of female friendship. A challenging but important play to experience. This audio production includes interviews with medical historian Deirdre Cooper Owens and the playwright show more after the play, which provides additional insight into the real history, which inspired the play. show less

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