The Haunted Stage: The Theatre as Memory Machine

by Marvin A. Carlson

Throughout theatrical history, almost every element in stage production has been recycled. Indeed any regular theatergoer is familiar with the experience of a performance that conjures the ghosts of previous productions. The Haunted Stage explores this theatrical déjà vu , and examines how it stimulates the spectator's memory. Relating the dynamics of reception to the interaction between theater and memory, The Haunted Stage uncovers the ways in which the memory of the spectator informs the process of theatrical reception.
Marvin Carlson is Sidney E. Cohn Distinguished Professor of Theatre and Comparative Literature at the City University of New York.

Genres: Theatre, Nonfiction, Academic

216 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Ph.D.in Drama and Theatre, Cornell University. Sidney E. Cohn Distinguished Professor of Theatre, Comparative Literature and Middle Eastern Studies.

Research and teaching interests include dramatic theory and Western European theatre history and dramatic literature, especially of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. He has been awarded the ATHE Career Achievement Award, the George Jean Nathan Prize, the Bernard Hewitt prize, the George Freedley Award, and a Guggenheim Fellowship. He has been a Walker-Ames Professor at the University of Washington, a Fellow of the Institute for Advanced Studies at Indiana University, a Visiting Professor at Freie Universität Berlin, and a Fellow of the American Theatre. In 2005 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Athens. His best-known book, Theories of the Theatre (Cornell University Press, 1993), has been translated into seven languages. His 2001 book, The Haunted Stage won the Calloway Prize.

His newest book, Speaking in Tongues, was published by the University of Michigan Press in 2006.

Reviews

[Mahtab · Rating 5 out of 5]

عاشق هرچیزِ مربوط به حافظه‌ام.

[Leif · Rating 4 out of 5]

What do you want from theatre criticism? If the answer is culturally diverse and historically rich discussions of general issues in drama, with particular attention to contemporary American and traditional Japanese theatre, then, well, you've got your man in the corner painted The Haunted Stage. Carlson does his best work arranging his capaciously researched material which, happily, includes a few personal reminiscences. Less able, perhaps by design, is a real effort to address the titular subject's theoretical ramifications – it remains instead a quasi-metaphysical concept, and could in many instances be mistaken for the term "repetition" or "reference." That aside, the most important question – is this a helpful book? – must be answered with a definitive yes.

[Mackenzie Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the many examples of ghosting throughout theatre history. But at the same time, I felt like the writing was quite repetitive, which wasn’t an enjoyable reading experience for me. I also wanted Carlson to speak more about why we as humans are simultaneously attracted to and fear the dead. Why do we need to continually rehearse and renegotiate the relationship with memory and the past? But only does he say that these things are nowhere more specifically expressed in human culture than in theatrical performance. I was craving a deeper exploration into the human mind and ghosting.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant and concise study of how every theatrical production is haunted--by the script, by previous productions, by the actor's bodies, and by the space of the stage itself.

[Kate Baker · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have been trying to read this and without much success.
It is a very smart, yet dryly written text book style telling of one persons interpretations of theatre, various plays, and so on with a very strong emphasis on the point of view of the performer. It is well researched and all, it is just not my cup of tea.
I was expected more historical re-tellings, etc and it is not so much historical accurate as it is focuses on the interpretation and defining of symbolism within theatre and various theatrical works. It is historically accurate and delves into the development of theatrical productions to a certain degree...
Maybe I'll get through it next year.

[Michael Meeuwis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very clearly written, and attuned to certain theatrical basics that – nevertheless – are easy to miss. Certainly enriching to one's sense of what the theater might be. I do wish that the book had made use of fewer examples, reading these in more depth – often, the book falls into lists of productions or performances, which – while interesting in their own right – can often feel like many similar things, presented without differentiation. At many moments, I found myself wishing that the book would stop with one of its fascinating examples, and devote a serious amount of time and page length to analyzing it.

[Phillip · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found Carlson's book quite difficult to get through. I'm not sure what exactly it is, but his writing style just doesn't engage me and it became a chore to read the book. By and large the thesis of the book is pretty straightforward--that theatre is always haunted by repetitions, echoes of previous performances, actors' bodies linked to other roles they've played, etc. and that these hauntings shape how we receive theatrical productions. The chapter essentially expand on this core idea through various elements of theatre.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carlson is remarkably articulate with somewhat esoteric concepts, and is so passionate about history that he can't help but find practical applications for his theoretical threads. The idea of past roles "ghosted" on the body of an actor has come up four times in the past week, and thanks to this book I finally have a vocabulary for it.

[Jessica Zu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only read the assigned chapters. But it was a great read!