A Posthumanist Examination of Animal Dignity in Tanya Ronder

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-23-2025

Abstract

Posthumanist theatre, by offering both realist and metaphorical representations, allows sustained investigation of the power dynamics between man and animal. This article examines through a posthumanist theoretical lens the violation of animal dignity in light of the species boundary and the domination of the human over the nonhuman in Tanya Ronder’s Fuck the Polar Bears. Phoebe, the toy polar bear, acts as a pivot for didactic reflection on the contemporary plight of nonhuman animals in a postcapitalist culture. Ronder’s performance calls for a recalibration of human values and the need to respect the fragility and dignity of the nonhuman animal.

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