The Aesthetics of the Dramatic Art: Theoretical Dramaturgy

A new translation of a classic work of structuralist criticism. Originally published in 1931, Otakar Zich’s Aesthetics of Dramatic Art laid the foundation for a systematic theory of modern theater and helped establish theater studies as an academic discipline. This volume is the first complete translation into any language and alongside Theatre Theory Reader: Prague School Writings provides thorough insight into Czech dramatic thought. Studying the theater from the audience’s perspective, Zich argues that the distinctive basis of dramatic art is human interaction rather than imitation, communication, fiction, or performed dialogue, as other theorists have argued. Covering spoken drama and opera, Zich’s Aesthetics of Dramatic Art is a foundational text of Czech theater practice that remains inspirational today for theater practitioners and theorists. Cover Contents Acknowledgements Preface Introduction Otakar Zich and his Aesthetics of the Dramatic Art: Introducing a Seminal Work After a Century A Note on this Edition Otakar Zich: Aesthetics of the Dramatic Art: Theoretical Dramaturgy An Analytical List of Contents Foreword Introduction The Concept of Dramatic Art The Principle of Dramaticity The Principle of Stylisation Afterword Otakar Zich in Context: Inspirations, Interpretations and Issues 1 Zich’s Intellectual World: Inspirations and Sources 2 Reading Zich in Czech and Beyond: Interpreting the Book 3 Zich’s World of Words in Czech and in Translation An Annotated Glossary Bibliography Editors and Translators Name Index