History and Theory of the Theatre

Part of the book "1861/1961: un secolo di circuitazione teatrale in Italia. Attori, compagnie, piazze" (edited by Leonardo Spinelli), the paper aims to reconstruct the national touring of Florentine ensembles led by Andrea Niccòli at the beginning of the 20th century, starting from the state of the Art related to the Florentine vernacular theatre of the time and the 19th-century tradition of the Stenterelli. The Niccòli's national, extra-Florentine and extra-Tuscan circuit, at first linked to the classical repertoire in Florentine vernacular, linked to Stenterello, later evolved under the banner of the association with the playwright Augusto Novelli. The new Florentine theatre removes the mask from Niccòli, bringing to fruition the prodromal reforms made by Raffaello Landini, Garibalda's father. The gradual "reform" was tested on Italian audiences from the early 20th century until the death of the Capocomico in 1917.

The retrospective view of the Romans Theatre gives rise to the renaissances of it theatrical activities which aim at reviving some imperative attributes exhibited in the Roman theatre for the development of Nigeria today's theatre. One of the major issues raised in it is that, the Romans borrowed most of their theatrical activities; notwithstanding, they were very selective in applying such. As it is well understood that theatre is both mimetic and non-mimetic, so it is/ was with the theatre of the Romans. Various segments of theatre that are examined in this write-up encapsulate the following: Roman dramatists, prevailing genres of the time, technicalities involved, production arrangement, music, and the like. Contributions of Romans theatre to the progress of theatre are also unveiled, concluding that they have assisted in preserving the theatre culture. Recommendations are also made most vital is that all well packaged performances should be view with the aim of complying with its message in order to attained both theatrical and societal development.

Nāṭyaśāstra is one of the most challenging writing in the history of theatre. Not only because its age and complexity, but because the uniqueness of its vision in which the sacred underlies the art of theatre and interferes with it. This research is based on textual criticism to emphasise the role of the sacred and its avatars (deities, ceremonies of consecration, symbols with religious and performing functions...) in the economy of theatre art as it is seen by the ancient Indian treatise on drama. In a history of the sacred circumscribed to the theatre space, Nāṭyaśāstra represents maybe the most relevant creation.

Recentul protest al activistei trans Antonella Lerca Duda, în timpul unei reprezentații cu un spectacol jucat la Teatrul Mic din București, a născut în spațiul public o avalanșă de reacții despre modul de reprezentare a unor grupuri minoritare pe scenă. Pentru că această discuție – despre cine și cum reprezintă categorii precum romii, persoanele trans sau non-heterosexuale, persoanele cu dizabilități etc. – e una care se poartă rar și tinde să fie dusă în derizoriu ori așa-numitul whataboutism, publicăm în acest număr perspectivele unei teoreticiene și ale unui practician, ambele argumentînd de ce e, pînă la urmă, vital să luăm această temă foarte în serios. (I.P.)

Polish Theatre Revisited explores nineteenth-century Polish theatre through the lens of theatre audiences. I place special emphasis on the most engaged spectators, known as “theatremaniacs” — from what they wore, to what they bought, to what they ate. My source material is elusive ephemera from fans’ lives, such as notes scribbled on a weekly list of shows in the Warsaw theatres, collections of theatre postcards, and recipes for sweets named after famous actors.

The fannish behavior of theatremaniacs was usually deemed excessive or in poor taste by people in positions of power, as it clashed with the ongoing embourgeoisement of the theatre and the disciplining of audiences. Nevertheless, the theatre was one of the key areas where early fan cultures emerged, and theatremaniacs indulged in diverse fan practices in opposition to the forces reforming the theatre and its spectatorship.

(publisher's description)

The Ancient Drama on the Stage of the New Greek Theater: The New Stage (1901–1906) and The Royal Theater (1901–1908)

The article treats the dominant trends in the development of modern Greek theater in the late 19th and early 20th century in the context of efforts to Europeanize the modern Greek scene in the horizons of modernism in theater. The foundation of the two important institutions of the period, New Stage (1901–1906) and The Royal Theater (1901–1908), marked the institutionalization of the New Greek theater scene, which went hand in hand with the professionalization of modern Greek theater both in terms of directing and acting techniques and the approach to
scenography. Leading in these processes are two large-scale theatrical figures – Konstantinos Christomanos and Thomas Oikonomou.

Keywords: the modern Greek theater; The New Scene; The Royal Theater, Konstantinos Christomanos, Thomas Oikonomou

This paper provides a discussion of the most recurrent questions concerning visual resources and their use by theatre historians. The author, who has been working for many years on iconological topics ( mainly theatrical portraiture from 16th to 18th century, stage decoration and Renaissance Festivals) tries to set some practical rules and useful suggestions, not particularly intended for scholars specialised in theatre iconography and iconology, but more generally directed to – young or advanced – theatre historians whose research implies dealing with images. The starting point is a re-definition of the so-called “theatricality” of images, as theatricality is less a question of specific iconographic reference to the theatre practice in itself than a question of how images may – in a given historical context - convey significance of a living and ephemeral art. Theatre images are part of the visual culture and they have to be related to it in order to be correctly comprehended. Other points focus upon the usefulness and appropriateness of criteria and tools established by art historians when referred to theatre images, the problems related to identifying actors as sitters in portraits, the misuse of images when retrieved as mere illustrations, the interaction between artists and actors as inventors of meaningful images, the inter-textual references related to collectors and patrons, artistic genre and serial image production, the iconographical inertia and the ideological abuse which may originate from it.

Mocno czekoladowy tort Marcello, który na specjalne okazje pojawia się na polskich stołach, powstał jako hołd dla warszawskiej aktorki, Heleny Marcello. Choć nie sposób dziś ustalić oryginalnej receptury tego odświętnego ciasta, w jego nazwie zachowało się uwielbienie, którym obdarzano artystkę, przetrwała fascynacja i entuzjazm, jakie budziła – ona sama i jej gra sceniczna. Tort Marcello to zatem jeden z historycznych śladów po teatralnych kulturach fanowskich, które wyłaniały się na ziemiach polskich w XIX i na początku XX  wieku. Książka "Tort Marcello" odzyskuje wczesne doświadczenia i praktyki fanowskie – pomimo że stanowiły one ważny element polskiego życia teatralnego, zostały uznane za zbyt błahe, by o nich pamiętać. Jest opowieścią o dziewiętnastowiecznych teatromanach i teatromankach, miłośnikach i miłośniczkach gwiazd scenicznych i przedstawień teatralnych, ujawniającą sploty między historią teatru i historią fanostwa. Kim byli dziewiętnastowieczni fani i fanki? Jak przedstawiały ich ówczesne media? Jak okazywali swoją pasję?

This paper analyses the 1949 and 1954 productions of Othello in the Budapest National Theatre, in order to seek out specific manifestations of the sovietisation of theatre. The performances were directed by Kálmán Nádasdy and Tamás Major, who had access to Stanislavski’s master copy of Othello, and chose to follow the practice of the era and commissioned a new translation of the play’s text. The struggle and the changing relationship between the characters thus became a symbol for class struggle, and conseequently the reviews and the remembrance of the performances almost exclusively focused on the hierarchical relations revealed within the roles.

The paper on Meyerhold I initially wrote as a lecture for my students. It might not be of interest to advanced theatre folks who know Meyerhold’s work, but it might be beneficial for undergraduate students. The paper explains the difference between Meyerhold and Stanislavsky’s methodologies, and the relationship between body and politics in the Soviet theatre, particularly the question of who is in control of whom (actor/director/audience), and thus, who is in charge of whose emotions, what makes for an 'awakened consciousness,' and finally, who is to decide?  Back in the olden days of Eastern Europe, most of these debates were common knowledge, but I am finding that increasingly, younger theatre students are struggling to understand how crucial for twentieth-century politics this discourse was. 

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0

Between April and May 1460, the act of a sleek funambulist
enchanted Milan during several public celebrations. An account
of the facts is provided by Mantuan orator Vincenzo della Scalona,
along with two previously unpublished Latin texts, here presented
in their first edition: the Carmen Quorundam Ludorum by Giovanni
Luigi Toscani and a letter written by the humanist Giorgio Valagussa
and addressed to Guglielmo Paleologo of Monferrato. By comparing
these sources – unusually numerous, detailed and varied by types
and forms – the author tracks and describes the skills mastered
by a fifteenth-century acrobat, specifies the celebratory contexts in which
the performances were taking place and reconstructs the reactions of the spectators. A philological analysis of the texts investigates
the multi-layered readings and aims at defining the gaze of the writers
of the time, whose accounts have preserved the memory of the performing arts. As an ultimate goal, such a “strange” case in theatre history
offers the opportunity to initiate some reflections on the possible approaches that can be used to study the culture of performance during
the Italian Renaissance.

Esta proposta busca traçar alguns percursos do trabalho da intérprete em teatro, em suas transformações históricas, tecendo relações entre os contextos internacionais diversos, a fim de encaminhar um desenho do quadro brasileiro. Serão abordados aspectos da profissão (e profissionalização) das atrizes e sua inserção no campo social, assim como dilemas estéticos que

V slovenských dejinách nachádzame často osobnosti, ktoré bohatosťou svojho života a diela zasiahli do niekoľkých oblastí spoločenského diania. Práve touto nevšednou mnohostrannosťou si zvyšovali svoj sociálny status v kontexte prebiehajúcich historických udalostí a fenoménov doby. Bezpodmienečne do skupiny týchto neobyčajne aktívnych ľudí môžeme zaradiť tiež významnú postavu SAMUELA JURKOVIČA (1796 – 1873).

Jeho životný príbeh sa niesol v znamení služby slovenskému ľudu. Z tohto poslania vyplývali rovnako jeho početné pedagogické, ľudovýchovné a kultúrne aktivity. O týchto a iných charakteristických znakoch osobnosti Jurkoviča pojednáva nová publikácia s názvom SAMUEL JURKOVIČ: STOPÄŤDESIAT ROKOV ŽIVOTA VEČNÉHO.

Zakladateľ prvej európskej kooperatívy a prvého slovenského divadla od autora PhDr. Lukáša Perného, PhD. Napriek tomu, že táto uvedená publikácia nie je rozsahovo príliš veľká, ponúka čitateľom kvalitný prehľad o životnom príbehu a základných oblastiach záujmu Samuela Jurkoviča.“

Dr. Jaroslav Durec, Slovenský historický ústav Matice slovenskej, recenzent knihy

Artykuł poświęcony jest twórczości Dmitrija Bogosławskiego, białoruskiego dramatopisarza piszącego po rosyjsku. Celem badania jest ustalenie cech światopoglądu białoruskiego aktora, reżysera i autora tekstów dramatycznych na podstawie analizy wybranych utworów oraz prześledzenie ewolucji twórczej autora. Przedmiotem szczegółowej analizy stała się próba odpowiedzi na pytanie, w jaki sposób białoruski obrzęd dziady, rozumiany jako element mentalnego obrazu świata Białorusinów, obecny jest w dramaturgii Bogosławskiego. Przeprowadzona analiza tekstów i spektakli wyreżyserowanych przez Bogosławskiego pozwala na stwierdzenie, że temat oderwania od korzeni i powrotu do domu należy do najważniejszych w jego twórczości. Kontakt z przodkami, którzy spoczywają w rodzinnej ziemi, wymusza na bohaterach relacje ze światem duchów i wprowadza w rytualny krąg „dziadów”. Przedstawiając w twórczości dramatopisarskiej i reżyserskiej świat duchów, istniejący obok świata żyjących, Bogosławski konsekwentn...

Το θέατρο είναι άρρηκτα δεμένο με το ανθρώπινο σώμα. Η θεατρική σκηνή κατοικείται από ανθρώπινα σώματα και οι ιστορίες που παρακολουθούμε, ακόμη κι αν αφορούν μη ανθρώπινες οντότητες, παρουσιάζονται μέσω των σωμάτων των ηθοποιών. Στην πλειονότητα των θεατρικών έργων και παραστάσεων υπάρχουν ανθρώπινα σώματα που πάσχουν επί σκηνής και παρουσιάζουν τραύματα, με την καθαρά ιατρική έννοια του όρου, και στην πορεία της εξέλιξης του θεάτρου η απεικόνιση των τραυμάτων αυτών γινόταν και γίνεται με διαφορετικούς τρόπους. Η σχέση του σωματικού τραύματος και της επούλωσης με το θέατρο είναι η αφορμή για την εξέταση του τρίπτυχου Θέατρο-Τραύμα-Θεραπεία μέσα από ένα διαφορετικό πρίσμα.

The scientific journal of the Department of Theatre Studies of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Parabasis is preparing the publication of volume no. 20 and invites all those interested to contribute to the two issues, either the foreign-language 20/1 (in English, French, German and/or Italian) or the Greek-language 20/2, with an original, unpublished scientific study, in accordance with the standards of Parabasis.

See the Call for Papers and the Guidelines for the Authors, https://www.theatre.uoa.gr/ereyna/ekdoseis/parabasis/

Darko Gašparović čitavog svog radnog vijeka djeluje i kao praktičar i kao teoretičar, kao povjesničar i kao onaj koji aktivno sudjeluje u gradnji suvremene slike teatra (između ostalog i u svojstvu višegodišnjeg umjetničkog voditelja Hrvatske drame te intendanta HNK Ivana pl. Zajca u Rijeci), pokušavajući realizirati spoj naizgled nespojivog, te postići concordiu discors, potvrđujući i svojim teorijskim, ali i praktičnim radom kako je upravo teatar granično mjesto, mjesto spoja, dodira ili ožiljka tih dvaju kategorija koje su u zapadnoj kulturi često nepravedno razdvajane. U ovom ću radu osobitu pozornost posvetiti suodnosu vidljivog i nevidljivog, osobnog i socijalnog sistema, sadašnjeg i prošlog, unutarnjeg i izvanjskog, dakle binarnim opozicijama koje je Darko Gašparović, na ovaj ili onaj način, trajno problematizirao. Analizirat ću Gašparovićevu sklonost propitivanju onoga što stoji „u“, ali i „mimo“ i/ili „iza“ riječi. Pri tome ću se osloniti na teze nekoliko značajnih teoretič...

The problem of the existence or not of a reality, which outside the dimension of the intelligent subject, that is, the relationship of the subjectivity of conscience and the objectivity of the world, comprises an issue lending itself to a multiplicity of approaches and dimensions such as ontology, gnosology, psychology and metaphysics, neurophysiology and sociology. The questions posed and the answers given appear in philosophical and literary texts, scholarly studies and artistic creations, directly or indirectly linked to notions suck as “utopia” and “science fiction”, “temporality” and “reality”, “futurity” and “metaphysics”.

El teatro colombiano también se lee Ver las obras de teatro exclusivamente en escena o escoger leerlas, ha sido parte de una discusión que han mantenido algunos dramaturgos y expertos recientemente. Al respecto, el desaparecido maestro de teatro caleño Enrique Buenaventura dijo alguna vez que el texto literario teatral es literatura pero no es "el teatro". Sin embargo, el público colombiano solo ha podido plantearse está disyuntiva en los últimos años cuando han aparecido libros con los guiones teatrales más importantes.

The chapter reveals the influence of the Prague Linguistic Circle's structuralist theories on the debate concerning Czech theatre's new social function in the early 1990s. Drawing on an analysis of writings on the post-1989 changes in Czech theatre authored by the theatre critic, scholar and dramaturg Václav Königsmark (1946–1996), the author identifies his structuralist premises, which resonated especially with the concept of the aesthetic function by Jan Mukařovský (1891–1975), the leading member of the Prague School.

The resonance of "theater in theater" in the national dramaturgy of the '90s of the twentieth century is produced, on the one hand, by revealing in a piece of a theater atmosphere and theatrical perspectives, through playful-theoretical explorations of the theater as a theme of the play, the relationship of commenting on fragments or pieces, theories or theatrical theories, performances or their staging. On the other hand, the author's status in the text is also discussed, and the dramatist's case is a special case. The postmodernist drama writer revisits his own way and degree of involvement in the text: mediated, through the characters, and directly, through the didascalles. Representatives for this subject are: We love to play theater, Saxophone with red leaves, Joseph and his mistress of Val Butnaru, Placers and Enlightere of Constantin Cheianu, The Magician from Leopolskrone and his guests, Their mother of disciples of Angelina Rosca, The Project a tragedy...

Στην παρούσα εργασία και σε διάλογο με το γενικότερο ερευνητικό ενδιαφέρον, θα επιχειρηθεί μια εξέταση του κοινωνικοπολιτικού πλαισίου της Μήδειας και του τρόπου που η έμφυλη ταυτότητά της επηρεάζει τη θέση και δραστηριότητά της μέσα σε αυτό, μέχρι το σημείο όπου φτάνει να βλέπει το φόνο των παιδιών της ως μονόδρομο. [...]
Αξίζει να επισημάνουμε πως, μέσω της μελέτης του κειμένου, θα εστιάσουμε στα στοιχεία που δίνει ο συγγραφέας σχετικά με την κοινωνική πραγματικότητα της Μήδειας, για να εξετάσουμε τη δική της περίπτωση, ως τραγικής ηρωίδας, και όχι για το σχηματισμό γενικευμένων συμπερασμάτων, σχετικά με τις γυναίκες της κλασικής αρχαιότητας .

ISABELLA MOLINARI

A Sienese in Rome: Girolamo Gigli and the Accademia dei Desiosi in an Unpublished Manuscript from the Fondo Lanciani at Palazzo Venezia

The essay discusses an unpublished work found in the Manuscripts section of the Library of Archaeology and History of Art in Rome (BIASA), the Mss. 5, which collects theatrical texts (1717-1721) by Gi- rolamo Gigli, the Rozzi academics and the Compagnia dei Desiosi from Siena. We do not know how Mss. 5 arrived in Rome, but together with the manuscripts mentioned by Françoise Decroisette, it represents what is currently available, since there is no original signature by the author. Girolamo Gigli was in Rome several times, considerably contributing to the theatrical life of the city and favouring the rebirth and spread of a highly modern comic repertoire. The manuscript confirms the rela- tionship between Gigli and Maria Teresa Strozzi – known in Arcadia as Celinda Caradria, princess of Forano, who protected the author from detractors and censors. The document includes also the long-lost farsetta for two-part music Nardone and the two cantatas Pulcinella che ha smarrito il figliuolo and Pulcinella cuoco.

Un senese a Roma: Girolamo Gigli e l’Accademia dei Desiosi in un mano- scritto inedito del Fondo Lanciani a Palazzo Venezia

Il saggio presenta un inedito rinvenuto nella sezione Manoscritti della Biblioteca di Archeologia e Storia dell’Arte di Roma (BIASA), il Mss. 5, che raccoglie testi teatrali (1717-1721) riferibili al senese Girolamo Gigli e a due contesti cui lo scrittore fu legato: quello degli accademici Rozzi e quello della Compagnia dei Desiosi di Siena. Non sappiamo come il Mss. 5 sia approdato a Roma, ma insieme ai manoscritti segnalati da Françoise Decroisette rappresenta quanto allo stato attuale disponibile, tenendo conto della mancanza di un originale autografo dell’autore. Girolamo Gigli risiedette a Roma più volte, contribuendo notevolmente alla vita teatrale della città e favorendo la rinascita e la diffusione di un repertorio comico con tratti di grande modernità. Confermando il rapporto intercorso tra Gigli e la mecenate Maria Teresa Strozzi, in Arcadia Celinda Caradria, principessa di Forano, da cui il senese ricavò protezione e tutela da detrattori e censori, il manoscritto ci resti- tuisce – tra l’altro – la dispersa farsetta per musica a due voci Il Nardone e le due cantate Pulcinella che ha smarrito il figliuolo e Pulcinella cuoco.

I artikkelen diskuteres 8 anmeldelser av Det Norske Teatrets produksjon Edda i 2017. Artikkelen er utviklet kollektivt, på grunnlag av en felles interesse for myter og fortellinger, forankret i forskergruppen «Mytologi, eventyr og forteljing i danning og didaktikk» ved Høgskulen på Vestlandet (HVL). Forfatterne av artikkelen er forskere og lærerutdannere på ulike fagfelt. Det konkrete utgangspunktet er Robert Wilsons Edda-oppsetning, og anmeldelsene av den. Vår intensjon er å bidra til styrking av lærerstudentens kunst- og kulturkompetanse gjennom eksemplifisering av hvordan teateranmeldelser kan tas i bruk i undervisningssammenheng. Gjennom en hermeneutisk og didaktisk tilnærming, i lys av forfatternes ulike faglige ståsteder, drøfter vi hvordan man kan bruke anmeldelser som fagtekster. Selv om artikkelen relaterer seg til en spesiell oppsetning, kan den likevel benyttes som en eksemplarisk modell for hvordan lærerutdannere kan anvende teateranmeldelser i ulike fag – og kanskje i n...