Sound is born and dies with action. In this surprising, resourceful study, Mladen Ovadija makes a case for the centrality of sound as an integral element of contemporary theatre. He argues that sound in theatre inevitably "betrays" the dramatic text, and that sound is performance. Until recently, theatrical sound has largely been regarded as supplemental to the dramatic plot. Now, however, sound is the subject of renewed interest in theatrical discourse. Dramaturgy of sound, Ovadija argues, reads and writes a theatrical idiom based on two inseparable, intertwined strands - the gestural, corporeal power of the performer’s voice and the structural value of stage sound. His extensive research in experimental performance and his examination of the pioneering work by Futurists, Dadaists, and Expressionists enable Ovadija to create a powerful study of autonomous sound as an essential element in the creation of synesthetic theatre. Dramaturgy of Sound in the Avant-garde and Postdramatic Theatre presents a cogent argument about a continuous tradition in experimental theatre running from early modernist to contemporary works.

Contributor: Mladen Ovadija Mladen Ovadija (1947-2019) was a dramaturge, university lecturer, and independent researcher. Former producer for Radio Sarajevo, he lived in Toronto.

"If any book can be described as deliciously noisy, this is it. Excellent notes and bibliography complete the volume." CHOICE --- "A most timely and valuable book. Ovadija brilliantly brings to light new and surprising connections in the art and criticism of a crucial historical moment." Jon E. Erickson, Ohio State University --- “Ovadija’s book is rewarding to read and a rich resource of examples and interpretations of key experimental theatre and arts practices of the twentieth century, which benefits from its well-read and passionate author. A welcome and valuable addition to the growing number of publications that set out to rediscover ‘the pronounced orality/aurality of […] theatre’ of interest not only for scholars but also for students and theatre enthusiasts, I hope the book gets the wide readership it deserves.” Studies in Theatre and Performance --- “With its unusual examination of the avant-garde, this book makes a distinctive contribution to a growing understanding of what might indeed turn out to have been theater’s staging of an emerging, new aural paradigm. I am now delighting in the possibilities of considering the aural scenography of contemporary theater according to Futurist terms such as “plastic moto-rumorist complex,” and I thank Ovadija for bringing that reference and others like it to the discourse of theater sound.” Comparative Drama --- "Dramaturgy of Sound in the Avant-garde and Postdramatic Theatre is a most timely and valuable book. Ovadija brilliantly brings to light new and surprising connections in the art and criticism of a crucial historical moment." Jon E. Erickson, Department of English, Ohio State University --- "If any book can be described as deliciously noisy, this is it. Excellent notes and bibliography complete the volume." Choice, March 2014