Avant garde theatre, 1892-1992 / Christopher Innes.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Innes, Christopher, 1941-

Contributor:

Innes, Christopher, 1941-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Drama--20th century--History and criticism.

Drama.

Experimental theater.

Physical Description:

vii, 266 p. : ill.

Edition:

2nd ed.

Place of Publication:

London ; New York : Routledge, 1993.

Summary:

Examining the development of avant garde theatre from its inception in the 1890s right up to the present day, Christopher Innes exposes a central paradox of modern theatre; that the motivating force of theatrical experimentation is primitivism. What links the work of Strindberg, Artaud, Brook and Mnouchkine is an idealisation of the elemental and a desire to find ritual in archaic traditions. This widespread primitivism is the key to understanding both the political and aesthetic aspects of modern theatre and provides fresh insights into contemporary social trends. The original text, first published in 1981 as Holy Theatre, has been fully revised and up-dated to take account of the most recent theoretical developments in anthropology, critical theory and psychotherapy. New sections on Heiner Muller, Robert Wilson, Eugenio Barba, Ariane Mnouchkine and Sam Shepard have been added. As a result, the book now deals with all the major avant garde theatre practitioners, in Europe and North America. Avant Garde Theatre will be essential reading for anyone attempting to understand contemporary drama.

Contents:

chapter 1 INTRODUCTION

chapter 2 THE POLITICS OF PRIMITIVISM

chapter 3 DREAMS, ARCHETYPES AND THE IRRATIONAL

chapter 4 THERAPY AND SUBLIMINAL THEATRE

chapter 5 ANTONIN ARTAUD AND THE THEATRE OF CRUELTY

chapter 6 RITUAL AND ACTS OF COMMUNION

chapter 7 BLACK MASSES AND CEREMONIES OF NEGATION

chapter 8 MYTH AND THEATRE LABORATORIES

chapter 9 SECULAR RELIGIONS AND PHYSICAL SPIRITUALITY

chapter 10 ANTHROPOLOGY, ENVIRONMENTAL THEATRE AND SEXUAL REVOLUTION

chapter 11 INTERCULTURALISM AND EXPROPRIATING THE CLASSICS

chapter 12 FROM THE MARGINS TO MAINSTREAM.

Notes:

Rev. and updated ed. of: Holy theatre. 1981.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Related Work:

Innes, Christopher, 1941- Holy theatre.

ISBN:

1-134-92088-1

0-415-06517-8

1-280-02091-1

0-203-35937-2

1-134-92089-X

9780203359372

OCLC:

252865270