Postdramatic Theatre Research Articles

Directing the Contemporary Theatre: The Case of Oki’s Night of Ijalo

In contemporary times, the sophistication of media gadgets coupled with the development of the media-savvy audience has necessitated the theatre to devise alternative ways to sustain audience attention and interest. This has required theatre directors to revisit their approach to interpreting contemporary performance by engaging several elements of aesthetic communication to enhance the overall outlook of the performance and boost show business. Contemporary theatre directors, as the example of Olumide Oki (2023) illustrates, have identified this need by establishing a deliberate use of media elements and thus birthing techniques essential for the creation and interpretation of the contemporary performance. This paper engages Hans-Thies Lehmann’s post-dramatic theatre as a theoretical framework. It is a descriptive study that secures its data through participant observation of the 2023 production of Night of Ijalo by the Zion Royal Theatre. Based on the perception that the media has become an intrinsic part of the daily routines of the contemporary audience, Oki prioritizes the need to create a media-intensive theatre experience for the media-savvy audience. Hence, he adopts a mixed-media technique to boost his directorial interpretation and provide a seamless connection with the audience's demand through the deliberate use of aesthetic communication, intermediality, sound prerecording, mediation and mediatisation, and spectacle. With the mixed-media technique which includes the use of several media elements, Oki presents the media as a quintessential part of the contemporary performance and recommends it to theatre directors as a valuable technique for enhancing directorial interpretation and creating a media-oriented theatre experience.

Defying Norms/Categories: Understanding Postdramatic Theatre Through Postmodern Times

Defying Norms/Categories: Understanding Postdramatic Theatre Through Postmodern Times

Specificity of European Theatre Directing of the Flemish Wave: Metaphorical Images Luk Perceval

The purpose of the article is to reveal the peculiarities of the creative activity of one of the leading representatives of theatre directing of the "Flemish wave" Luk Perceval. Research methodology. The analytical method, the method of typological, art history, genre-stylistic, and figurative-stylistic analysis was used, thanks to which the author's approaches and the methodology of L. Perceval's direction were revealed and structured, as well as the method of theoretical generalisation. Scientific novelty. The creative activity of one of the leading directors of the European theatre at the end of the 20th century and the first two decades of the 21st century was studied. L. Perceval; the aesthetics of L. Perceval's theatrical direction are analysed through the prism of the concept of post-dramatic theatre; metaphorical images and their place in the visual text of the play are considered, using the example of the productions of "Othello" by W. Shakespeare and "Black-Yellow-Red Trilogy: Journey to the European Heart of Darkness" (alternative name "Belgium Sorrow") by S. Khin. Conclusions. Theatrical direction of L. Perceval, whose artistic thinking was formed in the atmosphere of Flemish theatre culture and reflects all its features, is characterised by an active search for exquisite symbolic forms of the embodiment of the highest unity of all living things. The director interprets modernity through the prism of the past, makes an attempt to highlight the deep contradictions of the modern socio-cultural space in the process of creating a system of creative reflections, the complex play of aesthetics of modern post-dramatic theatre and generalising various cultural layers and topics relevant to people of the 21st century in comprehensive metaphors. L. Perceval comprehends the problems of place and time, nature, life, freedom, independence, the complexities of life and natural contradictions, phenomena and tragedies that strike a person. The director expresses his own attitude, inner experiences and deep feelings with the help of metaphorical symbols that make up the essence of his creative manner. A feature of L. Perceval's directorial vocabulary is the search for metaphorical ways of stage expression of the complex psychological content of productions, in the process of researching the main contradictions of the human personality, which enhance the plasticity of the updated minimalist stage space of the performance. Keywords: Luk Perceval, European theatre direction, "Flemish wave", post-dramatic theatre, metaphorical images.

Refreshing Remodelling of the Classics

"This paper deals with several reinterpretations and rewritings of classic texts by two directors, Susanne Kennedy and Silviu Purcărete. The theoretical framework is represented by Hans-Thies Lehmann’s idea of postdramatic theatre, but also by the reflection on how technological media change the way we look at classical texts. If Susanne Kennedy is passionate about Internet dramaturgy and technical devices, Silviu Purcărete, a director inspired by a visuality of pictorial origin, resorts to a more metaphorical-symbolic way of deconstructing the dramatic texts. Keywords: Susanne Kennedy, Silviu Purcărete, postdramatic theatre, technological devices, rewritings, scenical interpretations."

Contemporary Drama and the Question of the Neo-avant-garde Legacy of the 1960s and 1970s

To some extent, contemporary drama is the heir of the neo-avant-garde of the late 1960s and1970s. This time was that of the so-called performative turn, which pulled theatre away fromrepresentation and towards presentation. The subsequent development can be designatedby various labels, such as postdramatic theatre, the aesthetics of the performative and, in thecase of dramatic texts, the no longer dramatic theatre text, “In-Yer-Face” theatre, etc.
 In Slovenia, a decisive turn from text to event took place towards the end of the 1960s.During this time, the first happenings and performance art pieces were taking place. Inreviewing the performance Pupilija, papa Pupilo pa Pupilčki (Pupillja, Papa Pupilo and thePupilceks), Veno Taufer went as far as to declare the death of literary theatre. At firstglance, it would thus appear that contemporary playwriting is merely repeating earlierpatterns. While contemporary playwriting may more radically formulate linguistic andaesthetic games, it deconstructs the dramatic form and thus radicalises the premises ofthe neo-avant-gardes; in the last two decades, we have been talking about a return todramatic, post-postdramatic and dramatic drama, etc.
 Through a comparative analysis of two of the more radical texts from Blaž Lukan’s anthologyGenerator:: za proizvodnjo poljubnega števila dramskih kompleksov (The Generator:: forManufacturing Any Number of Drama Complexes), namely Dušan Jovanović’s Sinopsisza happening Hlapci (Synopsis for The Happening of Lackeys) and Rastko Močnik’sGenerator, ki iz določenih enot in po preprostih pravilih proizvaja poljubno število dramskihkompleksov (A Generator that Produces Any Number of Drama Complexes from GivenUnits and According to Simple Rules) as well as Simona Semenič’s mi, evropski mrliči(we, the european corpses) and Varja Hrvatin’s Vse se je začelo z golažem iz zajčkov (ItAll Started with the Bunny Rabbit Goulash), the paper shows that the neo-avant-gardeis more about the question of theatrical performances and the form of the dramatic text,while contemporary drama is more about the search for authenticity and dramatic effects.

Contemporary Drama and the Question of the Neo-avant-garde Legacy of the 1960s and 1970s

To some extent, contemporary drama is the heir of the neo-avant-garde of the late 1960s and 1970s. This time was that of the so-called performative turn, which pulled theatre away from representation and towards presentation. The subsequent development can be designated by various labels, such as postdramatic theatre, the aesthetics of the performative and, in the case of dramatic texts, the no longer dramatic theatre text, “In-Yer-Face” theatre, etc. In Slovenia, a decisive turn from text to event took place towards the end of the 1960s. During this time, the first happenings and performance art pieces were taking place. In reviewing the performance Pupilija, papa Pupilo pa Pupilčki (Pupillja, Papa Pupilo and the Pupilceks), Veno Taufer went as far as to declare the death of literary theatre. At first glance, it would thus appear that contemporary playwriting is merely repeating earlier patterns. While contemporary playwriting may more radically formulate linguistic and aesthetic games, it deconstructs the dramatic form and thus radicalises the premises of the neo-avant-gardes; in the last two decades, we have been talking about a return to dramatic, post-postdramatic and dramatic drama, etc. Through a comparative analysis of two of the more radical texts from Blaž Lukan’s anthology Generator:: za proizvodnjo poljubnega števila dramskih kompleksov (The Generator:: for Manufacturing Any Number of Drama Complexes), namely Dušan Jovanović’s Sinopsis za happening Hlapci (Synopsis for The Happening of Lackeys) and Rastko Močnik’s Generator, ki iz določenih enot in po preprostih pravilih proizvaja poljubno število dramskih kompleksov (A Generator that Produces Any Number of Drama Complexes from Given Units and According to Simple Rules) as well as Simona Semenič’s mi, evropski mrliči (we, the european corpses) and Varja Hrvatin’s Vse se je začelo z golažem iz zajčkov (It All Started with the Bunny Rabbit Goulash), the paper shows that the neo-avant-garde is more about the question of theatrical performances and the form of the dramatic text, while contemporary drama is more about the search for authenticity and dramatic effects.

Contemporary Drama and the Question of the Neo-avant-garde Legacy of the 1960s and 1970s

To some extent, contemporary drama is the heir of the neo-avant-garde of the late 1960s and 1970s. This time was that of the so-called performative turn, which pulled theatre away from representation and towards presentation. The subsequent development can be designated by various labels, such as postdramatic theatre, the aesthetics of the performative and, in the case of dramatic texts, the no longer dramatic theatre text, “In-Yer-Face” theatre, etc. In Slovenia, a decisive turn from text to event took place towards the end of the 1960s. During this time, the first happenings and performance art pieces were taking place. In reviewing the performance Pupilija, papa Pupilo pa Pupilčki (Pupillja, Papa Pupilo and the Pupilceks), Veno Taufer went as far as to declare the death of literary theatre. At first glance, it would thus appear that contemporary playwriting is merely repeating earlier patterns. While contemporary playwriting may more radically formulate linguistic and aesthetic games, it deconstructs the dramatic form and thus radicalises the premises of the neo-avant-gardes; in the last two decades, we have been talking about a return to dramatic, post-postdramatic and dramatic drama, etc. Through a comparative analysis of two of the more radical texts from Blaž Lukan’s anthology Generator:: za proizvodnjo poljubnega števila dramskih kompleksov (The Generator:: for Manufacturing Any Number of Drama Complexes), namely Dušan Jovanović’s Sinopsis za happening Hlapci (Synopsis for The Happening of Lackeys) and Rastko Močnik’s Generator, ki iz določenih enot in po preprostih pravilih proizvaja poljubno število dramskih kompleksov (A Generator that Produces Any Number of Drama Complexes from Given Units and According to Simple Rules) as well as Simona Semenič’s mi, evropski mrliči (we, the european corpses) and Varja Hrvatin’s Vse se je začelo z golažem iz zajčkov (It All Started with the Bunny Rabbit Goulash), the paper shows that the neo-avant-garde is more about the question of theatrical performances and the form of the dramatic text, while contemporary drama is more about the search for authenticity and dramatic effects.

Contemporary Drama and the Question of the Neo-avant-garde Legacy of the 1960s and 1970s

To some extent, contemporary drama is the heir of the neo-avant-garde of the late 1960s and 1970s. This time was that of the so-called performative turn, which pulled theatre away from representation and towards presentation. The subsequent development can be designated by various labels, such as postdramatic theatre, the aesthetics of the performative and, in the case of dramatic texts, the no longer dramatic theatre text, “In-Yer-Face” theatre, etc. In Slovenia, a decisive turn from text to event took place towards the end of the 1960s. During this time, the first happenings and performance art pieces were taking place. In reviewing the performance Pupilija, papa Pupilo pa Pupilčki (Pupillja, Papa Pupilo and the Pupilceks), Veno Taufer went as far as to declare the death of literary theatre. At first glance, it would thus appear that contemporary playwriting is merely repeating earlier patterns. While contemporary playwriting may more radically formulate linguistic and aesthetic games, it deconstructs the dramatic form and thus radicalises the premises of the neo-avant-gardes; in the last two decades, we have been talking about a return to dramatic, post-postdramatic and dramatic drama, etc. Through a comparative analysis of two of the more radical texts from Blaž Lukan’s anthology Generator:: za proizvodnjo poljubnega števila dramskih kompleksov (The Generator:: for Manufacturing Any Number of Drama Complexes), namely Dušan Jovanović’s Sinopsis za happening Hlapci (Synopsis for The Happening of Lackeys) and Rastko Močnik’s Generator, ki iz določenih enot in po preprostih pravilih proizvaja poljubno število dramskih kompleksov (A Generator that Produces Any Number of Drama Complexes from Given Units and According to Simple Rules) as well as Simona Semenič’s mi, evropski mrliči (we, the european corpses) and Varja Hrvatin’s Vse se je začelo z golažem iz zajčkov (It All Started with the Bunny Rabbit Goulash), the paper shows that the neo-avant-garde is more about the question of theatrical performances and the form of the dramatic text, while contemporary drama is more about the search for authenticity and dramatic effects.

Contemporary Drama and the Question of the Neo-avant-garde Legacy of the 1960s and 1970s

To some extent, contemporary drama is the heir of the neo-avant-garde of the late 1960s and 1970s. This time was that of the so-called performative turn, which pulled theatre away from representation and towards presentation. The subsequent development can be designated by various labels, such as postdramatic theatre, the aesthetics of the performative and, in the case of dramatic texts, the no longer dramatic theatre text, “In-Yer-Face” theatre, etc. In Slovenia, a decisive turn from text to event took place towards the end of the 1960s. During this time, the first happenings and performance art pieces were taking place. In reviewing the performance Pupilija, papa Pupilo pa Pupilčki (Pupillja, Papa Pupilo and the Pupilceks), Veno Taufer went as far as to declare the death of literary theatre. At first glance, it would thus appear that contemporary playwriting is merely repeating earlier patterns. While contemporary playwriting may more radically formulate linguistic and aesthetic games, it deconstructs the dramatic form and thus radicalises the premises of the neo-avant-gardes; in the last two decades, we have been talking about a return to dramatic, post-postdramatic and dramatic drama, etc. Through a comparative analysis of two of the more radical texts from Blaž Lukan’s anthology Generator:: za proizvodnjo poljubnega števila dramskih kompleksov (The Generator:: for Manufacturing Any Number of Drama Complexes), namely Dušan Jovanović’s Sinopsis za happening Hlapci (Synopsis for The Happening of Lackeys) and Rastko Močnik’s Generator, ki iz določenih enot in po preprostih pravilih proizvaja poljubno število dramskih kompleksov (A Generator that Produces Any Number of Drama Complexes from Given Units and According to Simple Rules) as well as Simona Semenič’s mi, evropski mrliči (we, the european corpses) and Varja Hrvatin’s Vse se je začelo z golažem iz zajčkov (It All Started with the Bunny Rabbit Goulash), the paper shows that the neo-avant-garde is more about the question of theatrical performances and the form of the dramatic text, while contemporary drama is more about the search for authenticity and dramatic effects.

Theatermachine: Tadeusz Kantor in Context

Theatermachine: Tadeusz Kantor in Context

The Rhinoceros and The Regime Posthuman Bodies on Stage and Screen

"Ever since its first representation on stage, Ionesco's play Rhinoceros became a mirror to the anxieties haunting the societies that it was held up to. Back in the 1960s, it would symbolize (Neo-)Fascism and Far-Right dangers in the Western countries, while subversively pointing at Communism and Far-Left ideologies in the Central-East European cultures. The text's versatility was highly praised by the literary and theatrical criticism, and allowed for its re-enactment in shows and films produced over the globe, in the most diverse social-political contexts. This study aims to revisit some of the first play stagings from the current perspective of post-theatre, pointing out how the early post-War productions are contributing to rewriting of the performative code in the language of posthumanism and post-drama. Keywords: posthumanism, performative body, postdramatic theatre, Eugène Ionesco, Rhinoceros. "

The Transylvanian Postdramatic Theatre of Radu Afrim

One of the leading figures of contemporary Romanian theatre, director Radu Afrim, has been working with Hungarian companies for more than a decade, producing more than a dozen performances, which has its own significance under the circumstances that in his director’s theatre, the text is never taken for granted, be it a pre-existing and pre-chosen dramatic text or the product of a collective effort. Nevertheless, due to his peculiar, non-hierarchical handling of all the theatrical devices, where equally intensive attention is accorded to each one of them, his productions always fall under the category of postdramatic theatre. We are dealing here with two aspects of contemporary Eastern European theatre: the blurring lines between director’s theatre and collective production and the multiethnic character of it. As an aesthetic experience, his performances may be best described using Gilles Deleuze’s terms of aspects and perceptions.

From An Optimistic Tragedy to a “Revolutionary Concert”: Recycling of Soviet Historical Past in Contemporary Russian Theatre

The article focuses on the recycling of Soviet culture in productions of contemporary Russian theatre. In 2017, Victor Ryzhakov staged at Alexandrinsky theatre An Optimistic tragedy. A Farewell Ball, Asya Voloshina’s remake of a play written by Vsevolod Vishnevsky in 1932–1933. Such directors as Alexander Tairov, Georgy Tovstonogov, Mark Zakharov, and others had turned to An Optimistic Tragedy during the crucial moments of Soviet theatre history. In the 21st century this play has become claimed again. However, the interpretation of the text and its theatrical language drastically changed. The issues of intergenerational relationships and memory of the historical past have come to the fore. The story of anarchist sailors got a new birth largely due to an experimental approach to music in the performance. Music and chorus were central components of Vishnevsky’s play. In the first edition of An Optimistic Tragedy, the chorus represented a metaphor of the court of history. In the following stage versions of An Optimistic Tragedy its role has been decreased till in Ryzhakov’s production the sailors that constituted the chorus became passive witnesses of history, the ghosts of the past. Such evolution of the chorus was accompanied by techniques of postdramatic theatre (cross-casting, retreat from the original play), engagement of top hits, poems, popular music, and rap songs, written by Voloshina specifically for A Farewell Ball. Thus, A Farewell Ball may be called a complicated pastiche that combines texts of different periods and genres. To disclose the mechanisms of cultural selection, Ryzhakov applies the method of etudes. Such fragmentality and polyphony embody the chaos of revolution with juxtaposed voices narrating its personal stories.

Transformative Potential and Utopian Performative: Postdramatic Hamlet in Turkey

Turkey is among those Non-Anglophone countries which have had a keen interest in Shakespeare and his plays for over two hundred years. When it comes to the staging of Shakespeare in Turkey, especially when protagonists or leading roles are considered, “overacting” is one of the most notable techniques highlighting, presumably, the spirit of the Renaissance and Jacobean times. Still, in recent years, there have been some productions which try to challenge and deconstruct the traditional ways of staging a Shakespearean play. One of such productions is Hamlet of Istanbul State Theatre, directed by Işıl Kasapoğlu in 2014, in which the director makes use of postdramatic theatre techniques. As the play begins, the audience sees a huge red jewel box which has been placed onto the centre of the stage. Soon after it is opened, it becomes clear that the character coming out of the box is playing and enacting not only the role of Hamlet but also many other roles in the play. Disrupting the habitual Shakespearean staging which heavily relies on mimesis in a closed “fictive cosmos” (Lehmann 22), the production, more strikingly, allows for an innovative Shakespearean acting as an innovative Shakespearean acting possible as the actor acts out all the major roles, such as Hamlet, Claudius, Gertrude, Ophelia, Polonius, etc., in such various ways as holding dummies in his hands and enacting their roles in monologues and dialogues. Fusing Hans-Thies Lehmann’s theory of postdramatic theatre with Jill Dolan’s argumentation on utopian performative, this study will investigate how postdramatic theatre techniques challenge the traditional Shakespearean performance and contends that postdramatic theatre techniques used in Kasapoğlu’s Hamlet contribute to the utopian performative and the possibility of creating a utopian impulse in the audience. The paper thus will claim that postdramatic performance of Hamlet renders a utopian performative possible by presenting a transformative potential in the audience members which engages in our present moment.

CHOREOGRAPHER IN CONTEMPORARY THEATRE: THE CASE OF LATVIA

As the paradigm of dramatic theatre has changed and the genre of contemporary dance has evolved, a new approach to theatrical choreography has emerged. In Latvia, a new generation of contemporary dance choreographers has been active for two decades. They have significantly influenced both the aesthetics of their productions and developed the degree of the participation and co-responsibility in dramatic actors.
 By working together with contemporary dance choreographers, some actors and directors have changed their attitudes toward their body, its role, and the meaning of their movements. There is a growing awareness of how much time, effort, and precision would be required for smart and valuable choreography. This is a new experience and an opportunity for dramatic theatre. To delve deeper, Ben Spatz, researcher and theorist of embodied practice, through his research encourages artists to focus on the process of exploring the body rather than endlessly developing technical virtuosity.
 While the director is still primarily responsible for the staging, the work of the rest of the creative team is often of equal importance. According to the postdramatic theatre theory of German theatre scholar Hans-Thies Lehmann and the performing arts scholar Erika Fischer-Lichte, this is related to a general tendency in the contemporary theatre – the focus is set on living, immediate relationship between theatre and audience, and in this contemporary art discourse the choreographer plays a very important role.

Enrico Prampolini’s Scenography in Theoretical-Practical Discourse of Italian Futurism

The purpose of the article is to reveal the peculiarities of the concept of stage design of E. Prampolini, one of the Italian futurism theoreticians and practitioners, and to find out the influence of the master on the further development of scenography. Research methodology. The analytical and historical method have been applied to study the treatises of Italian futurists and the historical period of the futuristic scenography formation. The method of comparative analysis enabled comparing E. Prampolini’s concept with the theoretical and practical achievements of other representatives of Italian futurism and the trends of stage design of post-dramatic theatre. The theoretical method has been used to highlight the main trends of futuristic scenography according to E. Prampolini. Scientific novelty. The concept of E. Prampolini’s stage design has been studied in the context of the specifics of Italian futurism. The originality of the artist's creative method has been revealed. The main principles of the interrelationship of dramaturgy, directing, and stage design of the futurists, the relationship between stage design and the actor, dramaturgy, and audience perception have been considered. E. Prampolini’s theoretical works, in particular «Chromaphony» (1913), «Futuristic scenography and choreography» (1915), the manifesto «Futuristic stage atmosphere» (1924), little known in the domestic scientific dimension, have been analysed. Finally, common features of futuristic and modern stage design have been revealed. Conclusions. The history of stage design proves that innovative and intriguing artistic achievements usually arise due to the reaction of artists and dynamic changes in the surrounding reality. Revolutionary artists being inspired by the stormy atmosphere, bring changes to traditional approaches and methods of scenographic solution of the performance. At the beginning of the 20th century, thanks to the work of futurists, the artistic design of a theatrical performance not only underwent huge changes, but also changed its definition in stage art. E. Prampolini, as one of the founders of Italian futurism of the «second wave», approved his own specific approaches, based on the artistic concept and understanding of form, light, colour, and movement as the most important tools in the ensemble art of stage design. The concept of stage design proposed by E. Prampolini, according to which only the scenographer with his perceptive means and understanding can create an equivalent world, is as important as the play itself. It led to the appearance of numerous followers and epigones among the futurists of the «second wave», and thanks to the support of the master's close contacts with various European art and theatre schools, was integrated into the pan-European avant-garde context. According to the main revolutionary idea of the master, the stage design of the futurists, the so-called «subjective stage design», is distinguished from the traditional («objective») stage design of the time. According to E. Prampolini, «subjective stage design» is created by synthesising all means of expression, which together turn a futuristic scene into an abstract whole, and it subconsciously affects the viewer, creates a unique «state of mind» for each production, using shapes, colours, movement, and light. The research has revealed that E. Prampolini's futuristic experiments in the field of stage design directly echo the current trends of postmodern theatre. Key words: Ernico Prampolini, futurism, scenography, stage design, light, colour.

How Can We Interpret the 21st-Century (No Longer) Dramatic Texts and Theatre in Art and Theory?

The essay analyses the corpora of the dramatic or non-dramatic texts of contemporary authors (Simona Semenič, Milena Marković, Tim Crouch, Oliver Frljić, Katarina Morano and Žiga Divjak, Anja Hilling, Wajdi Mouawad, Dino Pešut and She She Pop) as a border area belonging to both the field of literature and theatre. While detecting the specifics of the interpretation of drama and theatre, the author uses eclectic tools offered by literary and performing arts studies to analyse the corpora of contemporary drama or no longer drama and performing practices. Focusing on a series of contemporary playwrights and theatre directors, he seeks answers to the question of how we can interpret the changes in drama and theatre. How did the specific return to the theatre of words, as defined by the French theorist of contemporary drama Élisabeth Angel-Perez, take place, and to which extent are today’s theatre and drama still post-dramatic but nevertheless establish a new return to the dramatic and dramatised? How do these “experiments belonging to the so-called ‘post-dramatic theatre’ which is also a (post-)deconstructionist theatre, eventually, end up redramatising whatever it was they strove to un/de-dramatize” (Angel-Perez)? Thus, paradoxically, “‘no-longer-dramatic’ texts put forward a new dramaturgical form that subverts the dramatic representation of the world as a fictive whole and accommodates the ‘unsurveyable present’ (Lehmann) of the mediatised-globalised world”.

Musiikillistettua teatteria

Hitler and Blondi: A Musicalised, Postdramatic Theatre Performance 
 This article examines how music explores the central concepts of the postdramatic theatre work Hitler ja Blondi: kolmetoista laulua diktaattorille, saksanpaimenkoiralle ja pianolle (“Hitler and Blondi: Thirteen Songs for a Dictator, a German Shepherd and one Piano”), a co-production of the TTT-theatre in Tampere (premiered 19 Feb, 2020) and the Finnish National Theatre in Helsinki (fall season 2021). Due to COVID-19 restrictions several performances were postponed, and the commercial live recording was released for private use. Michael Baran’s non-linear script consists of both documentary and fictional texts throughout 13 scenes (called “songs”), a prologue and an epilogue. Some periods of the dictator’s life are narrated as monologues. Hitler’s role is especially written for a blond, elderly Finnish actress, Seela Sella, who is Jewish herself. The music is designed and composed by Juhani Nuorvala and Juhani Liimatainen with Kyösti Kallio as sound engineer. Since the cornerstones of the performance’s structure, aesthetics and theatrical means are transcoded from musical sign system, Hitler ja Blondi is approached as a musicalised theatre work. 
 The fundamental poetic idea of Hitler ja Blondi is the dialectic counterpoint between fascism and its opposing ideologies and aesthetics – represented musically through the opposed aesthetics of Richard Wagner and Karlheinz Stockhausen. Furthermore, the structure of the script resembles German Lied cycles, and the chained occurrences of Stockhausen’s Klavierstücke correspond to the recurrent refrain in rondo form. In general, the music and its large intertextual network is one of the performance’s central narrative means, and it opens up the potential for interpretation. Drawing from the recent theories and methodologies of music analysis and theatre studies, this article focuses on discussing 1) how popular songs and Stockhausen’s Klavierstücke extend the performance’s temporalities, thereby expressing the timelessness of fascism; 2) how the music presents Hannah Arendt’s view of the banality of evilness in Nuorvala’s Puolueohjelmalaulu (“The Song of Nazy Party’s Program”); and 3) how the author of this article experiences the dialectic counterpoint differently through life performance, and through the video recording.

Postdramatic Theatre and Form Edited by Michael Shane Boyle, Matt Cornish, and Brandon Woolf. Methuen Drama Engage. London: Methuen Drama, 2019; pp. xi + 266. $115.00 cloth, $40.95 paper, $36.85 e-book.

Postdramatic Theatre and Form Edited by Michael Shane Boyle, Matt Cornish, and Brandon Woolf. Methuen Drama Engage. London: Methuen Drama, 2019; pp. xi + 266. $115.00 cloth, $40.95 paper, $36.85 e-book.

Postdramatic and Multimedia Dépaysement : Myth and Migration on Stage and Screen in Christiane Jatahy’s Ithaque: Notre Odyssée 1

Christiane Jatahy’s 2018 multimedia theatrical production Ithaque: Notre Odyssée 1 captures contemporary narratives of migration through a retelling of Homer’s Odyssey. To create this multilayered production, Jatahy interviewed refugees and worked closely with French and Brazilian actors to represent a variety of voices involved in the international migration crisis. Jatahy also captures the complexity of displacement through cameras that the actors use to film live video on stage. Drawing on Hans-Thies Lehmann’s concept of postdramatic theatre and Pasi Väliaho’s analysis of biopolitical screens, this article argues that the interplay between these filmed images and Jatahy’s unique staging choices reveals the contradictory nature of migration and displacement. By examining the double meaning of the term dépaysement, this article explores the opposing yet surprisingly harmonious relationship between multimedia technologies and classical drama that allows Jatahy to represent the various connections and disconnections migrants across the globe experience every day.