The Cambridge Introduction to Theatre Studies

Abstract

Providing thorough coverage of the methods and tools required in studying historical and contemporary theatre, this Introduction examines the complexities of a rapidly changing and dynamic discipline. Following a cross-cultural perspective, the book surveys the ways theatre and performance are studied by looking initially at key elements such as performers, spectators and space. The central focus is on methodology, which is divided into sections covering theatre theory, historiography and textual and performance analysis. The book covers all the main theatrical genres - drama, opera and dance - providing students with a comparative, integrated perspective. Designed to guide students through the academic dimension of the discipline, the volume emphasizes questions of methodology, research techniques and approaches, and will therefore be relevant for a wide variety of theatre studies courses. Informative textboxes provide background on key topics, and suggestions for further reading are included at the end of each chapter.

Understanding Producers’ Intentions and Viewers’ Learning Outcomes in a Science Museum Theater Play on Evolution

“…Yet, some scholars claim that such a dichotomy is a false one. Didactic theater need not abandon its aesthetic qualities; on the contrary, in order for theater to educate, it must contain sound aesthetic values (Balme 2008;Jackson 2005). The relationship between didactics and will be one lens with which we view our findings.…”

“…Performance analysis of theater focuses on the performance, production, and staging of the theatrical event (Balme 2008). Due to the ephemeral and transitory nature of the theatrical event, performance analysis tends to focus on the production and staging of the event rather than on the performance itself (despite the misleading label).…”

“…While there is no question as to the centrality of the spectator to the play, there are relatively few studies on spectators and their experience (Balme 2008;Sauter 2000). One reason is that in order to understand how the audience responds to a play, social research tools such as questionnaires or interviews must be used, which were traditionally foreign to arts researchers (Balme 2008;Urian 2008). Thus, discussion has tended to focus on a hypothetical spectator rather than a real one.…”

“…Reader response theory from the field of literature studies argues against the text having fixed meanings and the reader as a passive recipient. Instead, reading is viewed as an event whereby the reader must fill in the blanks, add his/her interpretation, and make meaning of the text (Balme 2008;Bennett 1988;Rosenblatt 1978).…”

Upholding the Igbo Cultural Heritage through the Theatre

“…Thus, originally, theatre referred to both a place as well as to a particular form of sense perception. Balme observes today, the concept of "theatre" can refer to 1) a building; 2) an activity ("going to" or "doing" theatre); 3) an institution; and, 4) more narrowly, an art form (Balme, 2008). Balme notes the terminological complexity of the term means that the object of theatre studies is multi-dimensional and composed of many different fields of inquiries and scholarly perspectives.…”