The Dramaturgy of the Spectator

The Dramaturgy of the Spectator describes the development of the modern theatre spectator, the modern playwright, and their complex relationship with sovereignty, power structures, and the emergent public sphere in the seventeenth through the eighteenth century.

Tatiana Korneeva is an assistant professor in Comparative Literature at the Freie Universität, Berlin.

"The Dramaturgy of the Spectator adds a new essential dimension to our understanding of the classic age of Italian theatre: the multifaceted perspective of the public. Korneeva convincingly demonstrates how playwrights transformed their spectators into free-thinking critical agents, so that the relationship between author and audience became a driving force for reform in Italian theatre and in politics more broadly. An engaging and fascinating read not only for Italian specialists but for anyone interested in the origins of modern theatre."

Ann Hallamore Caesar, School of Modern Languages and Cultures, University of Warwick:

"This book charts the evolution of Italian theatre from the mid-seventeenth century to the late eighteenth century and from the closed, elite world of academies and court to the public sphere of the commercial playhouse. Drawing on six interlocking case studies of plays from a range of genres by such playwrights as Scipio Maffei, Carlo Gozzi, Carlo Goldoni, and Vittorio Alfieri, this study makes an important contribution to the debate about the public sphere and offers a new and exciting interpretation of Italian theatre and its audiences."