Political theatre in Europe

East to West, 2007-2014

Authors

  • Maria Shevtsova Goldsmiths, University of London

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4000/mimesis.1255

Abstract

What political theatre may be in contemporary times and in what sense it is ‘political’ are the core issues of this article. Maria Shevtsova discusses examples from within a restricted period, 2007 to 2014, but from a wide area that begins in Eastern Europe – Russia, Ro-mania, Hungary, Poland – and moves to Germany and France. Her examples are principally productions by established ensemble theatre companies and her analysis is framed by a brief discussion concerning independent theatres, ‘counter-cultural’ positions, and institutional and institutionalized theatres. This latter group is in focus to indicate how political theatre in the seven years speci- fied has been far from alien to, or sidelined from, national theatres, state theatres, or other prestigious companies in receipt of state subsidy. Two main profiles of recent political theatre emerge from this research, one that acknowledges political history, while the other critiques neoliberal capitalism; there is some unpronounced overlap between the two. Productions of Shakespeare feature significantly in the delineated theatrescape.

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Author Biography

Maria Shevtsova, Goldsmiths, University of London

Maria Shetsova è professore di studi teatrali alla Goldsmiths University di Londra, membro del gruppo di ricerca del Centre de functions imaginaires et socia- les des arts presso l'Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales di Parigi, dell'Equipe de Recherche en Scénologie, l'Université de Paris VIII, ed è la direttrice e fondatrice del Sociology of Theatre and Performance Research Group. È invitata annualmente come critica teatrale Golden Mask National Theatre Award, al Festival di Mosca e al Festival del Teatro Internazionale del Teatro Aleksandrinsky di San Pietroburgo. È condirettrice della prestigiosa rivista internazionale New Theatre Quarterly edita dalla Cambridge University Presso la Goldsmiths, Shevtsova è la fondatrice e direttrice del MA Performance and Culture: Interdisciplinary Perspectives, direttrice della ricerca e degli studi universitari del Department of Drama, membro del Consiglio della Goldsmiths 'Graduate School e del Research and Knowledge Transfer Committee. È specialista in teoria sociale e culturale e problematiche di contestualizzazione socioculturale per quanto riguarda la performance, ha sviluppato i fondamenti teorici e le metodologie interdisciplinari della sociologia del teatro. Lavora anche sul cross-culturalismo e sulle questioni relative all'etnicità, all'immigrazione, al multiculturalismo e alla globalizzazione.

Published

2024-01-25

How to Cite

Shevtsova, M. (2024). Political theatre in Europe: East to West, 2007-2014. Mimesis Journal, 7(1), 5–23. https://doi.org/10.4000/mimesis.1255

Issue

Section

Essays