National Theatre Research Articles

Evolution of Theatrical Culture of Ukraine in the context of National Identity

The purpose of the article is to analyse the main aspects in the evolution of theatrical culture in Ukraine in the context of the formation and preservation of national identity. The research methodology is based on a combination of different approaches, including historical, sociocultural and artistic analysis of theatrical events and their interaction with political, sociocultural and economic factors. The historical approach enabled the author to trace the main stages of the development of theatrical culture in Ukraine, in particular the influence of political and social conditions on the formation of the national theatre. The artistic analysis enabled focusing on the aesthetic aspects of theatrical creativity, and the socio-cultural approach – to investigate the relationship between the theatre and society. Scientific novelty. The study is groundbreaking in its analysis of the impact of contemporary events, such as Euromaidan 2014 and the full-scale invasion of 2022, on Ukrainian theatre culture, as well as exploring the process of de-Russification in theatre. In addition, the article emphasises the role of individual artists and the development of modern drama, which underlines the theme of war and national identity. Conclusions. The process of formation of national identity in Ukraine in the context of historical events and cultural transformations was highlighted. Despite the various prohibitions of the desire to destroy national identity, the activities of outstanding national figures, in particular theatre figures, have always popularised Ukrainian culture. A promising direction in the development of theatre culture is to take into account all mental and ideological differences within the framework of Ukrainian values, since every Ukrainian is currently rethinking the question of their identity. The evolution of Ukrainian theatrical culture is an integral part of the process of formation and preservation of national identity. The theatre itself is an important tool of socio-cultural development, which helps Ukrainian society to realise its uniqueness and preserve its cultural heritage.

Repertoire policy and activities of the national opera and ballet theaters in the conditions of military aggression

The purpose of the work is to identify changes in the repertoire policy of these institutions based on the analysis of the activities of the national opera and ballet theaters of Ukraine, which are determined by the influence of Russian military aggression and worldview and value transformations that are being formed in Ukrainian society and are aimed at protecting cultural and national identity. The research methodology is based on such scientific methods as analytical, comparative, and art studies, which made it possible to obtain reasonable research results and formulate appropriate conclusions. The scientific novelty of the work consists in the generalization and systematization of the activities of the national opera and ballet theaters (Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa) in the conditions of military aggression and the study of the corresponding changes in the repertoire policy, caused by the rejection of the repertoire related to Russian culture, instead of the promotion by the national opera theaters and ballet of Ukrainian culture and its values ​​among the international community. Conclusions. As a result of the conducted research, it was established that in the conditions of martial law, art, and in particular opera and ballet, in addition to continuing to perform their immediate functions, become expressions and symbols of indomitability and national stability. Modern productions, reflecting the drama of the time, make it possible to convey the complex emotions of the people, their pain of loss and hope for victory in an artistic form. In addition, national opera and ballet theaters acquire other features in their activities, transform into cultural hubs engaged in charity, volunteering, joining various public initiatives, especially among foreign colleagues and partners. Performances of opera and ballet troupes become an important component of the informational and cultural struggle against aggression, demonstrating the strength and beauty of Ukrainian culture to the world. The abandonment of the Russian repertoire by Ukrainian opera and ballet theaters during the war is a significant and symbolic step, driven by both cultural and political motives, which is part of a wider process of decolonization of Ukrainian culture and a break with the imperial heritage. This step symbolizes the desire for cultural independence, support of national identity and rejection of any form of cultural dependence on the aggressor country. Thus, the national opera and ballet theaters in Ukraine, despite all the difficulties, continue their activities, fulfilling not only a cultural, but also a social and patriotic mission in the conditions of war.

Interview with Papy aka Alain Degois: improvisational theater from low-income suburbs to the most prestigious national theater

This interview with Papy, aka Alain Degois, traces the evolution of improvisational theater in France from its 1980s introduction to its recent recognition by the Comédie-Française. Papy, a French improv pioneer, discusses the art form’s origins and growth, particularly through the Culture and Diversity Improv, an initiative which has expanded from four cities to 31, now involving 3,000 teenagers annually. Papy highlights improv’s dual nature as artistic expression and psychological tool, emphasizing its promotion of active listening, collaboration, and creativity. He explores improv’s societal impact, noting its ability to create unique communal experiences and challenge traditional theater norms. The conversation covers the milestone of improv performances at the Comédie-Française, signifying the discipline’s validation within France’s cultural ­establishment. Papy discusses ongoing collaborations between improv and traditional theater, predicting a future of increased hybridization.

Keeping a national institution on the stage: Ernest Blythe and the rebuilding of the Abbey Theatre

Historians have, for the most part, overlooked the rebuilding of the Abbey Theatre after its 1951 destruction by fire, a neglect that this article sets out to redress. Debates about rebuilding the Abbey had begun before the fire. The conversations that occurred then, conversations in which Ernest Blythe played an active part, are important to understanding what happened in the years after 1951. Having outlined that context, this article examines the pivotal and underappreciated role played by the Abbey’s managing director Ernest Blythe in securing the reconstruction of the new theatre. Blythe’s familiarity with government proved to be a precious asset in the theatre’s reconstruction, a feat achieved amid some of the most arduous economic conditions in the state’s history. In the fifteen years between the fire and the opening of the new theatre, Blythe liaised with four different governments about the provision of the new theatre. Criticism of the theatre’s work at its place of exile, the Queen’s, frequently made Blythe the focus of personal attack, and he was accused of stifling artistic standards in favour of easy profit. This article identifies the various decisions Blythe made to maintain an agreeable relationship with the government and to emphasise the worth of the national theatre to the Irish state. It also challenges some of the assumptions about Blythe’s tenure at the Abbey and explains the reasoning behind some of his most controversial programming decisions, which, it is argued, he made to maintain government support for the rebuilding of the Abbey Theatre.

Culture as a Resilient and Sustainable Strategy in Small Cities

This article studies the recent evolution of five cases of small cities in the interior of Spain that several decades ago invested in culture as a strategy to maintain their populations and increase the quality of life of their inhabitants. These are case studies of differentiated characteristics in which the analysis of their evolution offers important keys for developing cultural policies in any small city in the world. The examples of Allariz, Almagro, Astorga, Puigcerdá and Trujillo allow for the corroboration of how betting on culture as a resilient and sustainable strategy generates positive results for their populations. Allariz, in the province of Ourense, is showing a cultural identity development that emerged as a movement to reject the pollution of the Arnoia River. In Almagro, in the La Mancha province of Ciudad Real, the recovery in 1955 of the only Corral de Comedias preserved since the 17th century allowed for the inauguration in 1979 of the first Almagro Classical Theatre Festival, and from then on, a whole series of restorations and new constructions related to theater and the performing arts, which turned a small town of less than 10,000 inhabitants into the national theater capital. Astorga is a small two-thousand-year-old city in the province of León, which is trying to recover as a living history museum to face the current reality of demographic and economic crises. Puigcerdá, in the province of Girona, the historic capital of Cerdanya, is another small town in which cultural management and production is much larger than it would be corresponding to its demographic size. Lastly, Trujillo, in the Extremadura province of Cáceres, a city of pre-Roman origin known in the 16th century as the birthplace of conquistadors in America such as Francisco Pizarro and Francisco de Orellana, is another small town of less than 10,000 inhabitants that is committed to creating and maintaining a rich cultural agenda with an important weight for the history and relationship between America and Spain and the recovery of the civil and religious heritage of this small monumental city. These are five enclaves, in summary, that have for years followed a clear strategy of betting on identity and culture to improve the well-being of their inhabitants and the local development of their economy, and which, as this research demonstrates, have made it possible to avoid the biggest problems of the impoverishment and abandonment of other nearby towns with similar characteristics.

Putting the Theatre Green Book into practice: sustainability, pedagogy and the conservatoire

Like all industries, theatre must face the challenge of transitioning to a sustainable future, and in 2021 the Theatre Green Book was created to support that transition. It is now being used widely in the UK including by the National Theatre who are committed to working to the standards of the Theatre Green Book and have included engagement with this process as a contractual commitment for all staff and freelancers. Theatre educators are responsible for not only ensuring that their shows are made sustainably, but also for embedding this way of working into curriculums. Case studies that look at the use of the Theatre Green Book in theatres are now materialising, but there is no wider research currently available about its application within drama schools. This article explores the barriers and motivators that impact the implementation of the Theatre Green Book method into UK drama schools. Four semi-structured interviews with theatre production educators and transcripts from three Theatre Green Book educator meetings were used to provide an overview of the barriers and motivators. Several key themes emerged from the data, including pressures of time, leadership and storage, and recommendations are made to address them.

«Приключения Ходжи Насреддина в Татарстане»: история и современность на театральных подмостках

The folkloric character Khoja Nasreddin is widely known in different countries. A cheerful and resourceful hero for many centuries has become an expression of feelings and sentiments of the eastern peoples, their wit, freedom and rebellion. Currently, numerous examples of not only folk, but also professional art are dedicated to him. The image of Khoja is presented in them in different aspects and sometimes transforms under the influence of the creative individuality of its authors. This article is devoted to various interpretations of the classical history of Khoja Nasreddin on the stage. The article examines dramatic performances of G. Kamal Theatre, a puppet show of the National Theater, which became a continuation of the sketch created at the theatre laboratory in Sviyazhsk, a musical production of the Opera Studio in cooperation with the Tatarica Orchestra of the Kazan Conservatory.

INTERLINGUAL HOMONYMS IN THE PROFESSIONAL SUBLANGUAGE OF THEATRE

The article comprehensively investigates the phenomenon of internationality of the sublanguage of theatre and establishes intra- and extra-linguistic differences between etymologically related German and Ukrainian theatre terms. As a result of the culturally specific semantic and stylistic evolution in the bosom of a particular national carrier language and national theatre terminology, the semantic structures of theatre terms have been enriched with additional non-international meanings. Comparison of the internal side of the studied vocabulary allows us to divide it into two large groups: complete and partial interlingual homonyms. To complete interlingual terminological homonyms we refer four types of divergence: homopairs that have no formal equivalents in German or Ukrainian theatre language, but have such equivalents in other terminologies or spheres; terminopairs whose members, having a similar internal form, denote different reference spheres in different branches of theatre; homonymous term groups formed as a result of intra-linguistic homonymy or paronymy in German; pairs of complete interlingual homonyms containing the most general common seme, which is realised in different ways in each formal equivalent. Partial interlingual terminological homonyms include formally parallel etymologically related units, at least one of the terminological meanings of which refers to the same referential sphere, while the other(s) do not coincide.

Creating a representative archive of performance practice at the National Theatre of Great Britain

Creating a representative archive of performance practice at the National Theatre of Great Britain

The Dream of a National Center for the Arts: The 1958 Reconstruction of and Wall Paintings for the Weongaksa National Theater

The Dream of a National Center for the Arts: The 1958 Reconstruction of and Wall Paintings for the Weongaksa National Theater

Debates legislativos en la Argentina posdictadura sobre una (posible) ley de teatro

This work addresses the attempt of the Argentine legislative power to sanction a National Theater Law, in the first years of democratic recovery. Although this was not achieved, the debate that took place laid a solid foundation, which was successfully resumed the following decade. The exchanges that occurred in the National Congress are analyzed, when in 1984 it was intended to create a sectoral organization for the promotion of unofficial theater. At the same time, the theatrical practice is approached from the paradigm of Osvaldo Pellettieri (1997), understood as a system from which he characterized the national theater field and its temporal evolution, based on its internal constitution, and at the same time, according to what motivates its changes by virtue of contact with the local social series and with other cultures. Finally, to understand the relationship between the period of democratic opening and the conceptions of theatrical activity evidenced in the debates, Daniel Mazzei's (2011) approach to the “democratic transition” in Argentina, and the concept of “structures”. of feeling” that Raymond Williams (1980) develops as a cultural hypothesis through which he analyzes how the structures of experience and their links with a generation are constituted in a certain period are taken into consideration.

Evaluating pedestrian facilities for enhancing pedestrian safety in Addis Ababa city

Transport demand has been increasing in most third-world countries. However, poorly maintained facilities and poor planning exposed pedestrians to high-traffic accidents. This paper aims to evaluate pedestrian facilities using the pedestrian level of service to enhance pedestrian safety in Addis Ababa. Relevant data was collected through field measurement and direct observation from 13 purposively identified pedestrian sites across the Piyasa to Bole bridge and Megenagna to Torihayloch road corridors. Pedestrian level of service derivation considered capacity, traffic, comfort, safety, and security conditions and their sub-components. The weight of each criterion and sub-factor was decided according to the Saaty scale using the judgment of experts under the analytical hierarchical process. The result of the study strongly stipulates the presence of the problem of pedestrian facilities in Megenagna, Mexico, Urael Church, and Golagol which can affect the level of pedestrian safety. However, Denibel City, Legahare, Torhayloch, and National Theater sites have scored better Pedestrian level of service for the walking population. Finally, the study recommended the requirement of prior attention for the sites with very poor and poor pedestrian levels of service by the concerned sectors.

RECONSTRUCTION OF THE NATIONAL THEATRE OF JAPAN AND KABUKI: CONTEMPORARY INTERDEPENDENCIES AND PROSPECTIVE CHALLENGES

In pursuit of its mission to preserve traditional Japanese performing arts, the first National Theatre of Japan predominantly showcased Kabuki performances since its establishment in 1966. This article examines the proposed redevelopment concept for this theatre within the context of the current landscape of Kabuki productions. It sheds light on the Japanese government’s inclination to diminish its role in the future National Theatre’s construction scheduled to open in 2029, opting to realize it as a Private Partnership Project. This strategic shift underscores a focus on the tourist appeal of the rebuilt theatre while concurrently preserving its interdependent relationship with Shōchiku in Kabuki productions.

The classical drama as contested heritage in modern Greece: theatre productions from private initiatives to state projects in the 1930s

Abstract Performing classical drama at ancient venues in interwar Greece reflected the socio-cultural context of the time. The development of archaeological tourism and the perception of classical monuments as heterotopic spaces created particular political and ideological needs. Until the mid-1930s, private theatre companies and individual artists reused classical venues such as the Odeon of Herodes Atticus and the theatre of Epidaurus to stage productions that gradually attracted local, national, and international attention. But by 1936, the National Theatre began exploiting the socio-political potential of ancient theatres and classical drama festivals and state-sponsored productions dominated the Greek theatrical stage. During this period, the claims of exclusivity on the part of the National Theatre and the National Conservatoire defined their competition with private companies and shaped the course of the revival of classical drama in twentieth-century Greece.

3D Acoustic Map Analysis of the National Theatre of Zagreb

Rapid technological advances in recent decades have led researchers to refine the accuracy of their studies. In the field of acoustics, the impact of new devices is noticeable, especially in the investigations of cultural heritage buildings. The selection of a seat in theatres and concert halls has always been a concern, since the live experience of artistic performance depends on the quality of hearing and sight view. This paper deals with the elaboration of 360° acoustic maps made in the National Theatre of Zagreb, one of the opera theatres investigated with the Sipario project. The analysis of the main acoustic parameters has been carried out, starting with site measurements describing the acoustic response at various representative points of the main hall by covering the audience area. In addition, acoustic maps have been created for some selected positions based on a 3-degree-of-freedom (3dof) technique that allows a panoramic visualization of the impulse responses (IRs). This methodology completes the determination of early and late reflections that contribute to the acoustic quality of a place. In addition to the interest of experts in acoustics, this methodology can also be adopted by music lovers who can find a reasonable explanation for seat selection when booking their tickets.

Macedonian ballet (1949 – 2024), decoding of diverse choreographic “letters”

This article attempts to determine the relevant processes related to ballet, positioned in a concrete geographic space–the Republic of Macedonia. The time frame starts with the year of the founding of the professional ballet ensemble within the Macedonian National Theatre (MNT) 1949 and ends with the year 2024. An additional reason for such a theoretical review is the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Macedonian ballet. Due to the volume of material, the author decided to detect general styles, that is, general “chapters” or “letters” (as will be defined in the article), with their specific tendencies. From an analysis of the entire repertoire, performances can be classified into three general groups. The first is classical ballet with a fixed choreography (in Macedonia’s case, versions currently performed in Russia, that is, countries of the former Soviet Union). The second group is performances classified as contemporary regarding theme and music, but most importantly dance style. The third group is the works where there is a symbiosis between classical ballet and folk dance, which are referred to as national ballets. This group carries the most important and most distinctive national features. Each of the aforementioned groups is in close interaction with cultural politics, that is, current societal trends, which will be further elaborated.

Stephen Joel Chifunyise and his contribution to the praxis of Afroscenology

In this article, I want to explore the life and creative practice of Stephen Chifunyise to assemble a couple of features that characterize his work which he called ‘national theatre’. My starting point is that all theory is derived from practice and comes back to guide practice. By interrogating Chifunyise’s training manuals, plays, speeches, academic papers, workshop materials, contributions to newspapers and his own practice, certain trends begin to emerge which speak to a normative practice that many theatre groups/companies in Zimbabwe deployed. Within the context of this creative practice, many other African nations were grappling with the idea of a national theatre before and after Zimbabwe’s search for a theatre identity. All these African countries were foregrounding an indigenous text, usually storytelling, as the theatrical frame to which other texts and codes could be grafted to create an African aesthetic. Despite the cultural diversity of sub-Saharan Africa, there seems to be an agreement on the general framework of theatre. In this article, I have called the theory which emerged from this practice, Afroscenology. As different scholars contribute different tenets to the same theory, my underlying objective is to spell out Chifunyise’s contribution to the theory of Afroscenology.

Directing change? Reflections on participatory programmes and inclusive theatres cultures

ABSTRACT Participatory programmes in theatres typically aim to amplify the voice of people less commonly involved in ‘mainstream' theatre. Past scholarship has evaluated their impact on participants but paid less attention to the reciprocal impact on the internal culture and ‘diversity climate' of theatres. Drawing on exploratory research at two leading UK theatre companies, the National Theatre and the Young Vic, we reflect first on what this tells us about the relationship between participatory programmes and the institution’s diversity climate, and second on what this might tell us about efforts to become diverse and inclusive more generally.

Neuro-Aesthetics – Representing the Mind on Stage

This article analyses the challenges of representing the mind on stage, through stage design and acting techniques. To address this particular difficulty, we used our practice as research at Craiova National Theatre in 2019, with the play Under (re)Construction, written by Marco Tesei, and also various examples in both theatre literature and theatre practice, focusing on relevant renditions of the mind on stage in modern theatre. Our conclusions highlight the difficulties, from a director’s point of view, of making the audience understand that a specific section of a play takes part in a character’s mind. Moreover, the study shows that representing the mind on stage equally poses problems to the team of artists involved in the creation of the show.

Lonely Lives – A Living Theatrical Metaphor

This article overviews Hauptmann’s naturalist dramaturgy with an emphasis on the play Lonely Lives and references to a recent staging by the National Theater of Iași. Thus, we aim to reveal the loneliness of the characters (ordinary temperaments with common destinies, unlike those in other plays) on a vivid metaphorical level, given by faith and the lack of it, respectively.