The Underbelly is a performance project in development that will culminate as a full-length stage play that explores the ideological and emotional terrain of what has been popularly framed as the digital “gender war.” Set against the backdrop of a rising neoconservative political landscape, the play offers a critical examination of the evolving narratives around masculinity and femininity across diverse global cultures. Through the performed perspectives of two sharply opposed archetypal characters—each shaped by distinct cultural, relational, and ideological experiences—The Underbelly interrogates the systems, values, and performances that underlie contemporary dating culture, gendered expectations, and the politics of desirability. While these characters diverge in their beliefs about love, power, intimacy, and social roles, their perspectives reveal striking parallels in the wounds they carry and the longings they suppress. Ultimately, the play invites its audience to grapple with the cultural scripts that inform gendered experience in our time—and to ask what lies beneath the surface of today’s most polarizing debates.
Watch the full character introduction video for The Underbelly here.
Steph
Steph believes that men have finally found their voices in modern society after years of being silenced by ‘feminist dogma’ and concerted attacks on masculinity. He seeks to empower men by informing them about ‘‘women’s nature’ and how to avoid being manipulated and/or taken advantage of by modern women.
Genevive
Genevive has closely observed the red pill and ‘men’s rights’ dialogue and has something to say in response to men’s critique of modern women. She believes women have been ‘fooled by fairytales’ into loving inadequate men when they really need to be seeking men with sufficient resources. While she advocates for the ‘best practical lifestyle outcomes’ for women (i.e. “soft life”), she also feels that modern feminism has duped women into accepting 50/50 and, generally, a bad deal.
