Restoration and Eighteenth-Century Theatre Research, 2022
This article discusses the need for electronic research tools in writing theatre history, especia... more This article discusses the need for electronic research tools in writing theatre history, especially when considering aspects of physical staging. In the course of comparing and contrasting two databases dedicated to Restoration theatre currently under construction, namely the author’s database of Restoration Stage Directions and that of the University of Seville’s Restoration Comedy Project, it outlines how a correctly designed database can act not only as a convenient example generator, but can also suggest new lines of research.
McConachie offers a blast of arctic air in the midst of our second desert storm, clearly illustra... more McConachie offers a blast of arctic air in the midst of our second desert storm, clearly illustrating that the late 1940s to the early 1960s were fraught with complications the nostalgia-vendors would have us ignore. In a deftly handled preface and introduction, he defines cold war ...
[...] fictional door assignations, as explicated recently in Tim Fitzpatrick's analyses of S... more [...] fictional door assignations, as explicated recently in Tim Fitzpatrick's analyses of Shakespearean staging, could have been'wiped'and'reset'at the ends of scenes just as effectively, if not amore so, on stages equipped with sliding wings and shutters. Similarly, ...
Restoration and Eighteenth Century Theatre Research, 2018
This article discusses the development of a database of Restoration stage directions from an init... more This article discusses the development of a database of Restoration stage directions from an initial spreadsheet, through an online prototype in Drupal focussed on early plays, to an expanded project covering the period to 1700. It outlines how work with research-specific databases changed the course and nature of my research.
Examines the staging of topographical scenes in Restoration theatres. Uses a novel methodology to... more Examines the staging of topographical scenes in Restoration theatres. Uses a novel methodology to propose a practicable solution to staging the 'New Exchange' scenes in Etherege's 'She Would if She Could' and Wycherley's 'The Country Wife'. Discusses the staging of such scenes in later comedies.
Comparative Theater Review Vol.12 No.1 (English Issue), Mar 21, 2013
'The Scientifically Minded' is an early but characteristic example of Hirata’s ‘Quiet Theatre’ st... more 'The Scientifically Minded' is an early but characteristic example of Hirata’s ‘Quiet Theatre’ style which, in its aim to represent the mundane interactions of daily life, eschews many of
the features of conventional drama including overt theatricality and plotting. Whether in the original Japanese or, as here, in an idiomatic English translation, 'The Scientifically
Minded' is ideally suited for university production. The large cast (16) includes nine female roles, the age range is approximately from 19 to early 30s, and actors and directors will relish the performance challenges posed by Hirata’s style.
Comparative Theater Review Vol.12 No.1 (English Issue), Mar 21, 2013
Despite regular international tours by his theatre company Seinendan, interest in Hirata Oriza’s ... more Despite regular international tours by his theatre company Seinendan, interest in Hirata Oriza’s plays in the Anglophone world is not as pronounced as it might be. One reason
for this might be negative comments on certain aspects of Hirata’s work by the critic Uchino Tadashi. In introducing this new translation of Kagaku suru Kokoro (The Scientifically
Minded, 1990), theatre director Tim Keenan argues that while criticism within Japanese cultural contexts may be merited, it tends to focus on Hirata’s theoretical writings rather than the plays themselves, thereby overlooking some often subtle cultural
commentary. Moreover, the import of Uchino’s arguments may be negated when the plays are considered outside Japanese contexts, especially in translation as in this case.
Analyses the dramaturgical use of forestage doors and wing entrances in early Restoration plays, ... more Analyses the dramaturgical use of forestage doors and wing entrances in early Restoration plays, demonstrating that models of Restoration theatre stages based on a widely-reproduced drawing attributed to Christopher Wren are potentially erroneous.
Journal of Adaptation in Fim & Performance, Jan 1, 2009
Shows how an understanding of Restoration dramaturgy and staging practices can inform modern revi... more Shows how an understanding of Restoration dramaturgy and staging practices can inform modern revivals. Throws new light on the theatrical effectiveness of the adaptation in the light of this revival.
Offers the first practicable solution to a long-standing crux in Restoration theatre studies by s... more Offers the first practicable solution to a long-standing crux in Restoration theatre studies by showing how it is possible to align promptbook annotation and published stage directions in Boyle’s play.
An answer to an influential Theatre Notebook article by Colin Visser. This article outlines probl... more An answer to an influential Theatre Notebook article by Colin Visser. This article outlines problems with Visser’s analysis and model of Restoration scenic practice and demonstrates the viability of a much simpler model.
This introductory chapter to my edited collection on the Shakespeare North Playhouse sets out the... more This introductory chapter to my edited collection on the Shakespeare North Playhouse sets out the purpose and scope of the book. (Note this is a late draft and the published version is slightly different.)
Restoration Staging, 1660-74 cuts through prevalent ideas of Restoration theatre and drama to rea... more Restoration Staging, 1660-74 cuts through prevalent ideas of Restoration theatre and drama to read early plays in their original theatrical contexts. Tim Keenan argues that Restoration play texts contain far more information about their own performance than previously imagined. Focusing on specific productions and physical staging at the three theatres operating in the first years of the Restoration - Vere Street, Bridges Street and Lincoln's Inn Fields - Keenan analyses stage directions, scene headings and other performance clues embedded in the play-texts themselves. These close readings shed new light on staging practices of the period, building a radical new model of early Restoration staging. Restoration Staging, 1660-74 takes account of all extant new plays written for or premiered at three of London's early theatres, presenting a much-needed reassessment of early Restoration drama.
Restoration and Eighteenth-Century Theatre Research, 2022
This article discusses the need for electronic research tools in writing theatre history, especia... more This article discusses the need for electronic research tools in writing theatre history, especially when considering aspects of physical staging. In the course of comparing and contrasting two databases dedicated to Restoration theatre currently under construction, namely the author’s database of Restoration Stage Directions and that of the University of Seville’s Restoration Comedy Project, it outlines how a correctly designed database can act not only as a convenient example generator, but can also suggest new lines of research.
McConachie offers a blast of arctic air in the midst of our second desert storm, clearly illustra... more McConachie offers a blast of arctic air in the midst of our second desert storm, clearly illustrating that the late 1940s to the early 1960s were fraught with complications the nostalgia-vendors would have us ignore. In a deftly handled preface and introduction, he defines cold war ...
[...] fictional door assignations, as explicated recently in Tim Fitzpatrick's analyses of S... more [...] fictional door assignations, as explicated recently in Tim Fitzpatrick's analyses of Shakespearean staging, could have been'wiped'and'reset'at the ends of scenes just as effectively, if not amore so, on stages equipped with sliding wings and shutters. Similarly, ...
Restoration and Eighteenth Century Theatre Research, 2018
This article discusses the development of a database of Restoration stage directions from an init... more This article discusses the development of a database of Restoration stage directions from an initial spreadsheet, through an online prototype in Drupal focussed on early plays, to an expanded project covering the period to 1700. It outlines how work with research-specific databases changed the course and nature of my research.
Examines the staging of topographical scenes in Restoration theatres. Uses a novel methodology to... more Examines the staging of topographical scenes in Restoration theatres. Uses a novel methodology to propose a practicable solution to staging the 'New Exchange' scenes in Etherege's 'She Would if She Could' and Wycherley's 'The Country Wife'. Discusses the staging of such scenes in later comedies.
Comparative Theater Review Vol.12 No.1 (English Issue), Mar 21, 2013
'The Scientifically Minded' is an early but characteristic example of Hirata’s ‘Quiet Theatre’ st... more 'The Scientifically Minded' is an early but characteristic example of Hirata’s ‘Quiet Theatre’ style which, in its aim to represent the mundane interactions of daily life, eschews many of
the features of conventional drama including overt theatricality and plotting. Whether in the original Japanese or, as here, in an idiomatic English translation, 'The Scientifically
Minded' is ideally suited for university production. The large cast (16) includes nine female roles, the age range is approximately from 19 to early 30s, and actors and directors will relish the performance challenges posed by Hirata’s style.
Comparative Theater Review Vol.12 No.1 (English Issue), Mar 21, 2013
Despite regular international tours by his theatre company Seinendan, interest in Hirata Oriza’s ... more Despite regular international tours by his theatre company Seinendan, interest in Hirata Oriza’s plays in the Anglophone world is not as pronounced as it might be. One reason
for this might be negative comments on certain aspects of Hirata’s work by the critic Uchino Tadashi. In introducing this new translation of Kagaku suru Kokoro (The Scientifically
Minded, 1990), theatre director Tim Keenan argues that while criticism within Japanese cultural contexts may be merited, it tends to focus on Hirata’s theoretical writings rather than the plays themselves, thereby overlooking some often subtle cultural
commentary. Moreover, the import of Uchino’s arguments may be negated when the plays are considered outside Japanese contexts, especially in translation as in this case.
Analyses the dramaturgical use of forestage doors and wing entrances in early Restoration plays, ... more Analyses the dramaturgical use of forestage doors and wing entrances in early Restoration plays, demonstrating that models of Restoration theatre stages based on a widely-reproduced drawing attributed to Christopher Wren are potentially erroneous.
Journal of Adaptation in Fim & Performance, Jan 1, 2009
Shows how an understanding of Restoration dramaturgy and staging practices can inform modern revi... more Shows how an understanding of Restoration dramaturgy and staging practices can inform modern revivals. Throws new light on the theatrical effectiveness of the adaptation in the light of this revival.
Offers the first practicable solution to a long-standing crux in Restoration theatre studies by s... more Offers the first practicable solution to a long-standing crux in Restoration theatre studies by showing how it is possible to align promptbook annotation and published stage directions in Boyle’s play.
An answer to an influential Theatre Notebook article by Colin Visser. This article outlines probl... more An answer to an influential Theatre Notebook article by Colin Visser. This article outlines problems with Visser’s analysis and model of Restoration scenic practice and demonstrates the viability of a much simpler model.
This introductory chapter to my edited collection on the Shakespeare North Playhouse sets out the... more This introductory chapter to my edited collection on the Shakespeare North Playhouse sets out the purpose and scope of the book. (Note this is a late draft and the published version is slightly different.)
Restoration Staging, 1660-74 cuts through prevalent ideas of Restoration theatre and drama to rea... more Restoration Staging, 1660-74 cuts through prevalent ideas of Restoration theatre and drama to read early plays in their original theatrical contexts. Tim Keenan argues that Restoration play texts contain far more information about their own performance than previously imagined. Focusing on specific productions and physical staging at the three theatres operating in the first years of the Restoration - Vere Street, Bridges Street and Lincoln's Inn Fields - Keenan analyses stage directions, scene headings and other performance clues embedded in the play-texts themselves. These close readings shed new light on staging practices of the period, building a radical new model of early Restoration staging. Restoration Staging, 1660-74 takes account of all extant new plays written for or premiered at three of London's early theatres, presenting a much-needed reassessment of early Restoration drama.
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the features of conventional drama including overt theatricality and plotting. Whether in the original Japanese or, as here, in an idiomatic English translation, 'The Scientifically
Minded' is ideally suited for university production. The large cast (16) includes nine female roles, the age range is approximately from 19 to early 30s, and actors and directors will relish the performance challenges posed by Hirata’s style.
for this might be negative comments on certain aspects of Hirata’s work by the critic Uchino Tadashi. In introducing this new translation of Kagaku suru Kokoro (The Scientifically
Minded, 1990), theatre director Tim Keenan argues that while criticism within Japanese cultural contexts may be merited, it tends to focus on Hirata’s theoretical writings rather than the plays themselves, thereby overlooking some often subtle cultural
commentary. Moreover, the import of Uchino’s arguments may be negated when the plays are considered outside Japanese contexts, especially in translation as in this case.
Website by Tim Keenan
Books by Tim Keenan
Book Reviews by Tim Keenan
the features of conventional drama including overt theatricality and plotting. Whether in the original Japanese or, as here, in an idiomatic English translation, 'The Scientifically
Minded' is ideally suited for university production. The large cast (16) includes nine female roles, the age range is approximately from 19 to early 30s, and actors and directors will relish the performance challenges posed by Hirata’s style.
for this might be negative comments on certain aspects of Hirata’s work by the critic Uchino Tadashi. In introducing this new translation of Kagaku suru Kokoro (The Scientifically
Minded, 1990), theatre director Tim Keenan argues that while criticism within Japanese cultural contexts may be merited, it tends to focus on Hirata’s theoretical writings rather than the plays themselves, thereby overlooking some often subtle cultural
commentary. Moreover, the import of Uchino’s arguments may be negated when the plays are considered outside Japanese contexts, especially in translation as in this case.