Abstract
The prototype theory of genres (e.g., Sinding 2002) posits that a genre can be regarded as a cognitive category, conforming to principles of human categorization. In the present article we extend this cognitive view of genres by addressing a relatively under-researched issue: the initial process of genre formation, or in other words, the birth of a genre. In particular, we examine two “formative texts” — the studies by Martin Esslin and Aleks Sierz. In both studies the authors constructed a theatrical genre, introducing the “Theatre of the Absurd” and “In-Yer-Face Theatre,” respectively. Our major question is: to what extent did cognitive principles of categorization play a role in the formation of the genres in question, as manifested in these formative texts?
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