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Postdramatic Theatre

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Newly adapted for the Anglophone reader, this is an excellent translation of Hans-Thies Lehmann's groundbreaking study of the new theatre forms that have developed since the late 1960s, which has become a key reference point in international discussions of contemporary theatre.



In looking at the developments since the late 1960s, Lehmann considers them in relation to dramatic theory and theatre history, as an inventive response to the emergence of new technologies, and as an historical shift from a text-based culture to a new media age of image and sound.



Engaging with theoreticians of 'drama' from Aristotle and Brecht, to Barthes and Schechner, the book analyzes the work of recent experimental theatre practitioners such as Robert Wilson, Tadeusz Kantor, Heiner Muller, the Wooster Group, Needcompany and Societas Raffaello Sanzio.



Illustrated by a wealth of practical examples, and with an introduction by Karen Jurs-Munby providing useful theoretical and artistic contexts for the book, Postdramatic Theatre is an historical survey expertly combined with a unique theoretical approach which guides the reader through this new theatre landscape.

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

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Hans-Thies Lehmann

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
Profile Image for Mark Brown.
7 reviews21 followers
June 23, 2008
It is a great introduction to postdramatic theatre. It does approach it from, in my opinion, an academic way rather than practicality but then - is postdramatic practical? Still a good read. Take what you want and read what you want. No need to read straight through.
Profile Image for Alba.
128 reviews1 follower
May 20, 2022
Densito. Mucha explicación y buen análisi pero para entender qué está diciendo...
Profile Image for Gabrijela.
92 reviews10 followers
July 12, 2020
Hans-Thies Lehmann u knjizi predstavlja teorijski pogled na razvoj i dosege postdramskoga kazališta. To čini tako da pojmovno izrazi ono što je nastalo, a ne da nastalo postulira kao normu.
Takav je stav, čini mi se, zdrav deskriptivan pristup teoriji kazališta, a autor tako ostavlja prostora nekim novim saznanjima i promišljanjima jer ipak se radi o nedovršenome procesu stvaranja.
Lehmann postavlja zanimljiva pitanja o statusu teksta u kazališnoj umjetnost već u uvodu, a tijekom knjige razvijat će tezu da u dramskome kazališnom tekstu nestaju principi naracije i figuracije te poredak fabule, što će rezultirati osamostaljivanjem jezika.
Velik dio knjige čini povijesni pregled, odnosno pretpovijest postdramskoga kazališta, u kojem je naglasak na odnosu kazališta i teksta. Zatim se nastavlja teoretiziranje o postdramskim kazališnim znakovima da bi se prešlo na detaljnije prikaze tijela, vremena, prostora u postdramskom kazalištu.
Posljednje se veliko poglavlje tiče odnosa medija i kazališta, ali i suvremenoga načina života i življenja.
Za nekakva daljnja istraživanja značajni su posljednji odlomci o politici i kazalištu, a tu posebice mislim na Estetiku rizika - Lehman na kraju otvara pitanja vrijednosti kazališta u današnje doba koje je okrenuto prema vizualnome i prema slici - kazalište treba pronaći vrijednost u tome da ono još uvijek gledaoca može suočiti s njegovom vlastitom prisutnošću i ne uskratiti mu ni zabavu i šok spoznavanja, ni bol, ni užitak. Za razliku od suvremene medijske komunikacije koja od gledatelja ili čitatelja ne zahtijeva angažman, u kazalištu bi se trebalo odvijati upravo to.
Osim što je sadržajno zanimljiva i iscrpna, knjiga je i odlično strukturirana - svako poglavlje ima najviše tri stranice što olakšava praćenje autorovih misli, isticanje bitnoga i zadržavanje pažnje.
Profile Image for Sólo Renata.
7 reviews3 followers
August 26, 2019
Vertinga knyga tiems, kuriuos domina ne tik teatro XX a. teateo istorija, bet ir tieks, kurie domisi neliteratūrinio teatro žanrais. Aiškiai, glaudžiai, bet tuo pačiu ir su vertingais pavyzdžiais ape teatrą, kuris mina “netradicinį” kelią. Taigi Privaloma knyga visiems, besidomintiems teatru ir scenos menais.
Profile Image for Cla :).
69 reviews2 followers
July 2, 2024
une bible pour les thétreuxse comme moi
37 reviews2 followers
February 25, 2013
Albeit a challenging book, Lehmann's work is unprecedented in its scope and effort. It traces the advent, development and practice of the Postdramatic in an extremely well-supported as well as universally applicable way. Postdramatic Theatretakes on the challenging task of building a vocabulary and language for theater after drama in a perfectly applicable way. For those not shy of a heavy read, Postdramatic Theatre is one of the few works that properly describes the newest trends in theater today.
Profile Image for Raúl.
Author 10 books60 followers
December 18, 2016
Un libro que quiere ser una panorámica completa sobre el teatro en sus formas menos convencionales. Documentado, intenta abarcar mucho y a veces, el autor se deja llevar por ideas preconcebidas para acabar entrando en contradicciones que hacen cuestionar su trabajo. Pese a todo, un texto necesario, de referencia... y muy peligroso, como se ha demostrado muchas veces al ver ciertas obras de nuevos creadores.
Profile Image for Kari Barclay.
119 reviews27 followers
July 19, 2014
Lehmann's work provides a wonderful analysis of contemporary theatre and explores many of the trends I've observed in theatre but haven't been able to articulate. The book also speaks inspiringly of the potential of theatre. Although I disagree with the postdramatic aesthetic in many ways, I would recommend the text to any theatre-maker.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews

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