This, the fourth volume to be published in the series Theatre in Europe: A Documentary History, charts the development of theatrical presentation at a time of great cultural and political upheaval and is, for today's theatre practitioner, historian and theoretician, the most inspiring and important period in the evolution of our art. Putting on plays was no longer an end in itself, but the creation of imaginary worlds had to be justified on ethical, sociological, political, as well as aesthetic grounds. It is also a period that still affects every aspect of play-making today. With few exceptions, the documents from France, Germany, Russia, Scandinavia, Italy and Spain are unavailable to an English-reading public and many are out of print (or unpublished) in their original language. The volume contains numerous illustrations, the source location for each document and substantial bibliography.
This, the fourth volume to be published in the series Theatre in Europe: A Documentary History, charts the development of theatrical presentation at a time of great cultural and political upheaval and is, for today's theatre practitioner, historian and theoretician, the most inspiring and important period in the evolution of our art. Putting on plays was no longer an end in itself, but the creation of imaginary worlds had to be justified on ethical, sociological, political, as well as aesthetic grounds. It is also a period that still affects every aspect of play-making today. With few exceptions, the documents from France, Germany, Russia, Scandinavia, Italy and Spain are unavailable to an English-reading public and many are out of print (or unpublished) in their original language. The volume contains numerous illustrations, the source location for each document and substantial bibliography.
'To portray the Holocaust, one has to create a work of art', says Claude Lanzmann, the director of Shoah. However, can the Holocaust be turned into theatre? Is it possible to portray on stage events that, by their monstrosity, defy human comprehension? These are the questions addressed by the playwrights and the scholars featured in this book. Their essays present and analyse plays performed in Israel, America, France, Italy, Poland and, of course, Germany. The style of presentation ranges from docudramas to avant-garde performances, from realistic impersonation of historical figures to provocative and nightmarish spectacles. The book is illustrated with original production photographs and some rare drawings and documents; it also contains an important descriptive bibliography of more than two hundred Holocaust plays.
'To portray the Holocaust, one has to create a work of art', says Claude Lanzmann, the director of Shoah. However, can the Holocaust be turned into theatre? Is it possible to portray on stage events that, by their monstrosity, defy human comprehension? These are the questions addressed by the playwrights and the scholars featured in this book. Their essays present and analyse plays performed in Israel, America, France, Italy, Poland and, of course, Germany. The style of presentation ranges from docudramas to avant-garde performances, from realistic impersonation of historical figures to provocative and nightmarish spectacles. The book is illustrated with original production photographs and some rare drawings and documents; it also contains an important descriptive bibliography of more than two hundred Holocaust plays.
This revised and updated edition contains all of Artaud's key writings on theatre and cinema from 1921 to his death in 1948, including new selections never before in English. Artaud's ideas have inspi
Victor Hugo (1807-85) was a formidable playwright as well as a leading French poet and celebrated novelist. His plays dispensed with the stultifying neoclassical rules and transformed French theatre h
