Postdramatic Theatre And The Political: International Perspectives On Contemporary Performance (methuen Drama Engage)

Is postdramatic theatre political and if so how? How does it relate to Brecht's ideas of political theatre, for example? How can we account for the relationship between aesthetics and politics in new forms of theatre, playwriting, and performance? The chapters in this book discuss crucial aspects of the issues raised by the postdramatic turn in theatre in the late twentieth and early twenty-first century: the status of the audience and modes of spectatorship in postdramatic theatre; the political claims of postdramatic theatre; postdramatic theatre's ongoing relationship with the dramatic tradition; its dialectical qualities, or its eschewing of the dialectic; questions of representation and the real in theatre; the role of bodies, perception, appearance and theatricality in postdramatic theatre; as well as subjectivity and agency in postdramatic theatre, dance and performance. Offering analyses of a wide range of international performance examples, scholars in this volume engage with Hans-Thies Lehmann's theoretical positions both affirmatively and critically, relating them to other approaches by thinkers ranging from early theorists such as Brecht, Adorno and Benjamin, to contemporary thinkers such as Fischer-Lichte, Rancière and others. Is Postdramatic Theatre Political And If So How? How Does It Relate To Brecht's Ideas Of Political Theatre, For Example? How Can We Account For The Relationship Between Aesthetics And Politics In New Forms Of Theatre, Playwriting, And Performance? This Book Discuss Crucial Aspects Of The Issues Raised By The Postdramatic Turn In Theatre In The Late Twentieth And Early Twenty-first Century: The Status Of The Audience And Modes Of Spectatorship In Postdramatic Theatre; The Political Claims Of Postdramatic Theatre; Postdramatic Theatre's Ongoing Relationship With The Dramatic Tradition; Its Dialectical Qualities, Or Its Eschewing Of The Dialectic; Questions Of Representation And The Real In Theatre; The Role Of Bodies, Perception, Appearance And Theatricality In Postdramatic Theatre; As Well As Subjectivity And Agency In Postdramatic Theatre, Dance And Performance. Offering Analyses Of A Wide Range Of International Performance Examples, Scholars In This Volume Engage With Hans-thies Lehmann's Theoretical Positions Both Affirmatively And Critically, Relating Them To Other Approaches By Thinkers Ranging From Early Theorists Such As Brecht, Adorno And Benjamin, To Contemporary Thinkers Such As Fischer-lichte, Rancière And Other. Introduction: Postdramatic Theatre And The Political / By Jerome Carroll, Karen Jürs-munby And Steve Giles -- Towards A Paradoxically Parallaxical Postdramatic Politics / By Brandon Woolf -- Performing Dialectics In An Age Of Uncertainty, Or Why Post-brechtian Postdramatic / By David Barnett -- Political Fictions And Fictionalisations: History As Material For Postdramatic Theatre / By Mateusz Borowski And Malgorzata Sugiera -- A Future For Tragedy? Remarks On The Political And The Postdramatic / By Hans-thies Lehmann -- Spectres Of Subjectivity: On The Fetish Of Identity In (post-)postdramatic Choreography / By Peter M. Boenisch -- Christoph Schlingensief's Rocky Dutschke, '68: A Reassessment Of Activism In Theatre / By Antje Dietze -- Postdramatic Reality Theatre And Productive Insecurity: Destabilising Encounters With The Unfamiliar In Theatre From Sydney And Berlin / By Ulrike Garde And Meg Mumford -- Postdramatic Labour In The Builders Association's Alladeen / By Shannon Jackson -- Acting, Disabled: Back To Back Theatre And The Politics Of Appearance / By Theron Schmidt -- Parasitic Politics: Elfriede Jelinek's Secondary Dramas Abraumhalde And Faust In And Out / By Karen Jürs-munby -- Phenomenology And The Postdramatic: A Case Study Of Three Plays By Ewald Palmetshofer / By Jerome Carroll -- Performing The Collective. Heiner Müller's Alone With These Bodies (alleinmitdiesenleibern) As A Piece For Postdramatic Theatre / By Michael Wood. Edited By Karen Jürs-munby, Jerome Carroll And Steven Giles. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Cover HalfTitle Series Title Copyright Contents List of Figures Introduction Postdramatic Theatre and the Political 1 Towards a Paradoxically Parallaxical Postdramatic Politics? 2 Performing Dialectics in an Age of Uncertainty, or: Why Post-Brechtian . Postdramatic Brechtian theatre and the binary dialectic Post-Brechtian theatre as a response to a philosophical deficit Einar Schleef and the persistence of the dialectic A postdramatic Puntila outside history The post-Brechtian is not the postdramatic 3 Political Fictions and Fictionalisations: History as Material for Postdramatic Theatre 4 A Future for Tragedy? Remarks on the Political and the Postdramatic Epilogue 5 Spectres of Subjectivity: On the Fetish of Identity in (Post-)Postdramatic Choreography 6 Christoph Schlingensief’s Rocky Dutschke, ’68: A Reassessment of Activism in Theatre The ambivalent inheritance of 1968 Revival and remembrance Activists as role models: The melodrama Activating the audience: The boxing match The lesson 7 Postdramatic Reality Theatre and Productive Insecurity: Destabilising Encounters with the Unfamiliar in Theatre from Sydney Reality theatre and the postdramatic use of theatrical signifiers CMI: Destabilising subjects and texts Hotel/Chambermaids: ‘Authentic’ or ‘fictional’ stories? 8 Postdramatic Labour in The Builders Association’s Alladeen 9 Acting, Disabled: Back to Back Theatre and the Politics of Appearance 10 Parasitic Politics: Elfriede Jelinek’s ‘Secondary Dramas’ Abraumhalde and FaustIn and out Elfriede Jelinek’s post-drama The secondary drama – a parasitic genre Stemann’s postdramatic production of Abraumhalde Parízek’s postdramatic staging of FaustIn and out Hearing voices in the in-between 11 Phenomenology and the Postdramatic: A Case Study of Three Plays by Ewald Palmetshofer Phenomenology: Corporeality or ‘discipline of the imagination’? Phenomenology and theatre Palmetshofer Postdramatic theatre 12 Performing the Collective. Heiner Müller’s ‘Alone with These Bodies’ (‘Allein mit diesen Leibern’)1 as a Piece for Postdrama Why a ‘poem’? Reading ‘Alone with These Bodies’ The ‘politics’ of theatre ‘Alone with These Bodies’ as political theatre A challenge Notes Notes on Contributors Index Introduction: Postdramatic Theatre and the Political / by Jerome Carroll, Karen Jürs-Munby and Steve Giles -- Towards a Paradoxically Parallaxical Postdramatic Politics / by Brandon Woolf -- Performing Dialectics in an Age of Uncertainty, or Why Post-Brechtian Postdramatic / by David Barnett -- Political Fictions and Fictionalisations: History as Material for Postdramatic Theatre / by Mateusz Borowski and Malgorzata Sugiera -- A Future for Tragedy? Remarks on the Political and the Postdramatic / by Hans-Thies Lehmann -- Spectres of Subjectivity: On the Fetish of Identity in (Post- )Postdramatic Choreography / by Peter M. Boenisch -- Christoph Schlingensief's Rocky Dutschke, '68: A Reassessment of Activism in Theatre / by Antje Dietze -- Postdramatic Reality Theatre and Productive Insecurity: Destabilising Encounters with the Unfamiliar in Theatre from Sydney and Berlin / by Ulrike Garde and Meg Mumford -- Postdramatic Labour in The Builders Association's Alladeen / by Shannon Jackson -- Acting, disabled: Back to Back Theatre and the Politics of Appearance / by Theron Schmidt -- Parasitic Politics: Elfriede Jelinek's "Secondary Dramas" Abraumhalde and Faust In and Out / by Karen Jürs-Munby -- Phenomenology and the Postdramatic: A Case Study of three plays by Ewald Palmetshofer / by Jerome Carroll -- Performing the Collective. Heiner Müller's "Alone with these Bodies" ("AlleinmitdiesenLeibern") as a Piece for Postdramatic Theatre / by Michael Wood Is postdramatic theatre political and if so how? How does it relate to Brecht's ideas of political theatre, for example? How can we account for the relationship between aesthetics and politics in new forms of theatre, playwriting, and performance? The chapters in this book discuss crucial aspects of the issues raised by the postdramatic turn in theatre in the late 20th and early 21st century: the status of the audience and modes of spectatorship in postdramatic theatre; the political claims of postdramatic theatre; postdramatic theatre's ongoing relationship with the dramatic tradition; its dialectical qualities, or its eschewing of the dialectic; questions of representation and the real in theatre; and much more