Theatre and evolution from Ibsen to Beckett / Kirsten E. Shepherd-Barr ; cover design, Noah Arlow.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Shepherd-Barr, Kirsten, 1966- author.

Contributor:

Arlow, Noah, cover designer.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Darwin, Charles, 1809-1882--Influence.

Darwin, Charles.

Science and the arts--History.

Science and the arts.

Theater and society--History.

Theater and society.

Evolution (Biology).

Science--Social aspects--History.

Science.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (397 p.)

Place of Publication:

New York, [New York] : Columbia University Press, 2015.

Language Note:

English

System Details:

text file

PDF

Summary:

Evolutionary theory made its stage debut as early as the 1840's, reflecting a scientific advancement that was fast changing the world. Tracing this development in dozens of mainstream European and American plays, as well as in circus, vaudeville, pantomime, and "missing link" performances, Theatre and Evolution from Ibsen to Beckett reveals the deep, transformative entanglement among science, art, and culture in modern times. The stage proved to be no mere handmaiden to evolutionary science, though, often resisting and altering the ideas at its core. Many dramatists cast suspicion on the arguments of evolutionary theory and rejected its claims, even as they entertained its thrilling possibilities. Engaging directly with the relation of science and culture, this book considers the influence of not only Darwin but also Lamarck, Chambers, Spencer, Wallace, Haeckel, de Vries, and other evolutionists on 150 years of theater. It shares significant new insights into the work of Ibsen, Shaw, Wilder, and Beckett, and writes female playwrights, such as Susan Glaspell and Elizabeth Baker, into the theatrical record, unpacking their dramatic explorations of biological determinism, gender essentialism, the maternal instinct, and the "cult of motherhood. "It is likely that more people encountered evolution at the theater than through any other art form in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Considering the liveliness and immediacy of the theater and its reliance on a diverse community of spectators and the power that entails, this book is a key text for grasping the extent of the public's adaptation to the new theory and the legacy of its representation on the perceived legitimacy (or illegitimacy) of scientific work.

Contents:

Front matter

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1. "I'm Evolving!": Birds, Beasts, and Parodies

2. Confronting the Serious Side

3. "On the Contrary!": Ibsen's Evolutionary Vision

4. "Ugly . . . but Irresistible": Maternal Instinct on Stage

5. Edwardians and Eugenicists

6. Reproductive Issues

7. Midcentury American Engagements with Evolution

8. Beckett's "Old Muckball"

Epilogue: Staging the Anthropocene

Notes

Index

Notes:

Includes index.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9780231538923

0231538928

OCLC:

904425647