Dramas of the Past on the Twentieth-Century Stage

In History’s Wings

Nonfiction, Entertainment, Performing Arts, Theatre, History & Criticism, Fiction & Literature, Drama, British & Irish
Cover of the book Dramas of the Past on the Twentieth-Century Stage by Alexander Feldman, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Alexander Feldman ISBN: 9781136155000
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: January 17, 2013
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Alexander Feldman
ISBN: 9781136155000
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: January 17, 2013
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

This book defines and exemplifies a major genre of modern dramatic writing, termed historiographic metatheatre, in which self-reflexive engagements with the traditions and forms of dramatic art illuminate historical themes and aid in the representation of historical events and, in doing so, formulates a genre. Historiographic metatheatre has been, and remains, a seminal mode of political engagement and ideological critique in the contemporary dramatic canon. Locating its key texts within the traditions of historical drama, self-reflexivity in European theatre, debates in the politics and aesthetics of postmodernism, and currents in contemporary historiography, this book provides a new critical idiom for discussing the major works of the genre and others that utilize its techniques. Feldman studies landmarks in the theatre history of postwar Britain by Weiss, Stoppard, Brenton, Wertenbaker and others, focusing on European revolutionary politics, the historiography of the World Wars and the effects of British colonialism. The playwrights under consideration all use the device of the play-within-the-play to explore constructions of nationhood and of Britishness, in particular. Those plays performed within the framing works are produced in places of exile where, Feldman argues, the marginalized negotiate the terms of national identity through performance.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

This book defines and exemplifies a major genre of modern dramatic writing, termed historiographic metatheatre, in which self-reflexive engagements with the traditions and forms of dramatic art illuminate historical themes and aid in the representation of historical events and, in doing so, formulates a genre. Historiographic metatheatre has been, and remains, a seminal mode of political engagement and ideological critique in the contemporary dramatic canon. Locating its key texts within the traditions of historical drama, self-reflexivity in European theatre, debates in the politics and aesthetics of postmodernism, and currents in contemporary historiography, this book provides a new critical idiom for discussing the major works of the genre and others that utilize its techniques. Feldman studies landmarks in the theatre history of postwar Britain by Weiss, Stoppard, Brenton, Wertenbaker and others, focusing on European revolutionary politics, the historiography of the World Wars and the effects of British colonialism. The playwrights under consideration all use the device of the play-within-the-play to explore constructions of nationhood and of Britishness, in particular. Those plays performed within the framing works are produced in places of exile where, Feldman argues, the marginalized negotiate the terms of national identity through performance.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book Reading, Writing, and Gender by Alexander Feldman
Cover of the book The Legitimacy of International Regimes by Alexander Feldman
Cover of the book American Voices of World War I by Alexander Feldman
Cover of the book Narrative Identity, Autonomy, and Mortality by Alexander Feldman
Cover of the book Hindu Perspectives on Evolution by Alexander Feldman
Cover of the book Deciphering Goffman by Alexander Feldman
Cover of the book Biography by Alexander Feldman
Cover of the book Companion to Environmental Studies by Alexander Feldman
Cover of the book Texts from the Buddhist Canon by Alexander Feldman
Cover of the book The Pursuit of Comparative Aesthetics by Alexander Feldman
Cover of the book Leadership Can Be Learned by Alexander Feldman
Cover of the book The ABC's of Classroom Management by Alexander Feldman
Cover of the book Science Fiction Before 1900 by Alexander Feldman
Cover of the book Death Liturgy and Ritual by Alexander Feldman
Cover of the book The Market by Alexander Feldman
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy