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SARAH KANE IN YER FACE THEATRE 4.48 PSYCHOSIS PSYCHOLOGY: TERMS & TREATMENT DEFINITIONS AND OTHER HELPFUL NOTES

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Sarah Kane was born in Brentwood Essex, England in 1971. She graduated Bristol University in 1992 with a degree in Theatre. Sarah Kane suffered from severe depression throughout her adult life, and committed suicide in 1999 by overdosing and then hanging herself while under treatment at London's King's College Hospital, as referenced to in 4.48. Kane chose to write in the medium of theatre because Theatre has no memory, which makes it the most existential of the arts...I keep coming back in the hope that someone in a darkened room somewhere will show me an image that burns itself into my mind. Sarah Kanes theatre is bold, revolutionary, and uncompromising.

In Yer Face Theatre emerged within Britain drama during what is often called the Nasty 90s. Author Aleks Sierz describes In Yer Face theatre as a kind of theatre which grabs the audience by the scruff of the neck and shakes it until it gets the message. These type of contemporary plays took violence, sexuality, insanity, and other cultural taboos and aggressively invades the comfort zone of the average audience member. The three predominant playwrights of In Yer Face Theatre are Sarah Kane, Mark Ravenhill, and Anthony Neilson .

4.48 Psychosis was Sarah Kanes last written play, and many critics refer to it as Kanes 75 minute suicide note. 4.48 explores the relationship between sanity and insanity, of reality and delusion, and self with others. Written more as a free form poem than as a script, 4.48 is renowned for its flexibility and has been compared to the poetry of e.e. cummings. Why 4.48?: The title of the play has been long debated, and many theories exist as to why Sarah Kane titled her play as such. The most agreed upon theory is that 4:48 AM is the time Kane would regularly wake up at, in her most depressed state her darkest hour before the sun begins to rise. Some say that she decided to commit suicide at 4:48, others say it was the time Kane felt most sane.

Productions: 4.48 was first produced at Royal Court Theatre Upstairs in London, June 2000, almost a year after Kanes suicide . The cast originally was two females and one male role, and was highly controversial. Since then, 4.48 has been translated into numerous languages, and has been a popular play in many countries, the top being Britain, Germany, and, interestingly enough, South Korea. Recent productions of 4.48 include the simultaneous runs at the Barbican in London, and the York Theatre Royal presently, and notably was performed last October in New York.

Symptoms: No eating, not sleeping, not speaking, no sex drive, wants to die. (21) PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGIAL DISORDERS: Physical disorders which occur from the interaction of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors. Examples: ulcers, hypertension, migraines, etc. INSOMNIA: Insomnia is a psychophysiological disorder in which patients have difficulty falling asleep or maintaining sleep. Insomnia plagues roughly 35% of the population each year. Insomnia may be caused by a combination of psychosocial factors, such as high levels of anxiety or depression, and physiological problems, such as an overactive arousal system or certain medical ailments.

GENDER IDENTITY DISORDER: the broken hermaphrodite who trusted hermself alone finds the room in reality teeming and begs never to wake from the nightmare (3) Most people feel like and identify themselves as males or females, however not everyone is lucky enough to have such black-and-white clarity. Gender Identity Disorder is a disorder which is characterized by significant distress or impairment, persistent discomfort with ones sex or a sense of inappropriateness in the gender role of that sex, as well as strong and persistent cross-gender identification. GID is rare, effecting less than 1% of adults. Most individuals with GID have difficulty engaging sexually, as well as find their genitals repugnant (as referenced in the script on page 5). There is no solid evidence that explains the occurrence of GID, however there may be a genetic factor because GID sometimes runs in families.

GENDER IDENTITY DISORDER CNTD: There are three main patterns for GID, one of which is called Female-to-Male Gender Dysphoria. Characteristics of Female-to-Male Dysphoria include being disgusted by the female physical changes during puberty, the desire to be considered attractive as a male rather than as female, and the desire to become a male. Many people with gender identity disorder receive psychotherapy; however, controlled studies indicate that most adults with the disorder do not come to accept completely their birth gender through psychological treatment. Thus, many individuals with GID seek biological intervention (sex change , hormone treatment, etc).

BOARDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER: A viable diagnosis for Sarah Kane could be borderline personality disorder. Borderline personality disorder is characterized by repeated instability in interpersonal relationships, self-image, and mood by impulsive behavior. BPD has been described as a deep emotional overload. Symptoms of BPD include self mutilation, erratic mood swings and behavior, and suicide. 75% of all those with BPD try to commit suicide, and 10% succeed. People with borderline personality disorder frequently form intense, conflict-ridden relationships in which their feelings are not necessarily shared by the other person, and also tend to have dramatic shifts in identity and sexuality. 1-2.5% of the general population suffer from BPD, and 75% of those diagnosed are women. Many individuals with BPD experienced childhoods marked with neglect, abandonment, and verbal abuse. Many people with BPD are treated with antidepressant, antibipolar, antianxiety, and antipsychotic drugs, and many are institutionalized.

SELF MUTILATION: (A long silence.) -Why did you cut your arm? - Because it feels fucking great. Because it feels fucking amazing. (15) Self-cutting is a means to cope with the pain of strong emotions, intense pressure, or upsetting relationship problems. The majority of self-cutters are female. Some cutters self mutilate as a cry to others for help, others do it in order to have a greater sense of control in their otherwise unmanageable life.

DEPRESSION: I am sad I feel that the future is hopeless and that things cannot improve (4) Depression is a low, sad state marked by significant levels of sadness, lack of energy, low self-worth, guilt, or related symptoms. 7% of the population are diagnosed a year with Major Depressive Disorder. Females are twice as likely to be depressed than males, and symptoms of depression are the most extreme from ages 24-29. Some symptoms of depression include rapid weight loss or gain, insomnia or hypersomnia (lots of sleep), fatigue or loss of energy, feelings of worthlessness, thoughts of suicide.

Schizophrenia: Patient threatening and uncooperative. Paranoid thoughts believes hospital staff are attempting to poison her.Delusional ideas believes consultant is the antichrist. (22) Schizophrenia is a psychotic disorder in which personal, social, and occupational functioning deteriorate as a result of strange perceptions, unusual emotions, and motor abnormalities. In 4.48, the main character exhibits both the positive symptoms (excesses of thought, emotion, and behavior) and negative symptoms (deficits of thought, emotion, and behavior). Schizophrenics also have delusions, which are a strange false belief firmly held despite evidence to the contrary. The construction of 4.48 could be attributed to loose associations a common thinking disturbance in schizophrenia, characterized by rapid shifts from one topic of conversation to another.

Sertraline: aka Zoloft. A prescription antidepressant in which one of the side-effects are increases in suicidal thought. Zopiclone: aka Lunesta. Prescription treatment for insomnia. Very addictive and habit forming Melleril: Prescription for the symptoms of schizophrenia. Lofepramine: A prescription tricylic antidepressant Fluoxentine Hydrochloride: aka Prozac. Another antidepressant medication. Venlafazine: An antidepressant prescription which also treats symptoms of social anxiety disorder. Anhedonia: an inability to experience any pleasure at all sauvigon: green skinned grape from Bordeaux Psychoisis: a state in which a person loses contact with reality in key ways