Theatre and Metatheatre: Definitions, Problems, Limits

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Theatre and Metatheatre

Definitions, Problems, Limits

Edited by: Elodie Paillard
Elodie Paillard

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De Gruyter De Gruyter Brill | Google Scholar
and Silvia Sueli Milanezi
Silvia Sueli Milanezi

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De Gruyter De Gruyter Brill | Google Scholar

Language: English

Published/Copyright: 2021

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This book is in the series

Volume 11 | MythosEikonPoiesis

About this book

OPEN ACCESS

The aim of this book is to explore the definition(s) of ‘theatre’ and ‘metatheatre’ that scholars use when studying the ancient Greek world. Although in modern languages their meaning is mostly straightforward, both concepts become problematical when applied to ancient reality. In fact, ‘theatre’ as well as ‘metatheatre’ are used in many different, sometimes even contradictory, ways by modern scholars.
Through a series of papers examining questions related to ancient Greek theatre and dramatic performances of various genres the use of those two terms is problematized and put into question.
Must ancient Greek theatre be reduced to what was performed in proper theatre-buildings? And is everything was performed within such buildings to be considered as ‘theatre’? How does the definition of what is considered as theatre evolve from one period to the other?
As for ‘metatheatre’, the discussion revolves around the interaction between reality and fiction in dramatic pieces of all genres. The various definitions of ‘metatheatre’ are also explored and explicited by the papers gathered in this volume, as well as the question of the distinction between paratheatre (understood as paratragedy/comedy) and metatheatre.
Readers will be encouraged by the diversity of approaches presented in this book to re-think their own understanding and use of ‘theatre’ and ‘metatheatre’ when examining ancient Greek reality.

Author / Editor information

S. Milanezi, Université Paris-Est Créteil, France; E. Paillard, University of Sydney, Australia, and University of Basel, Switzerland.

Topics

Frontmatter Open Access Download PDF	I
Acknowledgements Open Access Download PDF	V
Contents Open Access Download PDF	VII
‘“Theatre”, “Paratheatre”, “Metatheatre”: What Are We Talking About?’ Elodie Paillard and Silvia Milanezi Open Access Download PDF	1
Theatre and Paratheatre
Definitions and Limits of Theatrical Performances
‘Diffused Performance and Core Performance of Greek Theatre’ Oliver Taplin Open Access Download PDF	21
‘(Un)Masking the πόλις: The Pre-Play Ceremonies of the Athenian Great Dionysia as Theatrical Performances?’ Andrea Giannotti Open Access Download PDF	29
‘Greek to Latin and Back: Did Roman Theatre Change Greek Theatre?’ Elodie Paillard Open Access Download PDF	63
Paratheatre
‘Defining Paratheatre, From Grotowski to Antiquity’ Mali Skotheim Open Access Download PDF	89
Metatheatre
Theoretical Aspects
‘New Thoughts on Metatheatre in Attic Drama: Self-Referentiality, Ritual and Performativity as Total Theatre’ Anton Bierl Open Access Download PDF	107
Performative Aspects
‘A Gesture That Reveals Itself As a Gesture: Thinking About the Metatheatricality of the Body in Greek Tragedy’ Matteo Capponi Open Access Download PDF	133
Case Studies
Tragedy
‘Metatheatre and Dramaturgical Innovation: A Study of Recognition Scenes in Euripides’ Tragedies Electra, Helen, Iphigenia in Tauris, and Ion’ Emilie Ruch Open Access Download PDF	153
‘The Mask of Troy: Metatheatre in the Prologue and Final kommos of Euripides’ Troades’ Pascale Brillet-Dubois Open Access Download PDF	177
Aristophanes, Old Comedy
‘Animal Metaphors and Metadrama. A Cultural Insight into the Verb πιθηκίζειν’ Marco Vespa Open Access Download PDF	193
‘Ar. Eccl. 889 ὅμως ἔχει τερπνόν τι καὶ κωμῳδικόν. A Comedy’s Self- Consideration of Its Lyrical Forms at the Dawn of “Middle Comedy”?’ Loredana Di Virgilio Open Access Download PDF	213
Mimes
‘Mime and Metatheatre’ Anne Duncan Open Access Download PDF	235
Abbreviations Open Access Download PDF	253
Bibliography Open Access Download PDF	257
List of Contributors Open Access Download PDF	285
Index verborum Open Access Download PDF	289
Index locorum Open Access Download PDF	295