The speed paradigm

The dynamism on the European scene in the late 19th and early 20th century

Abstract

Between the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century, European culture was deeply fascinated by dynamism as a synonym for scientific progress. The theater reacted to this awareness with variety shows based on the combination of short and flexible dramaturgical units. The essay proposes a mapping, which correlates, in the light of the paradigm of speed, theatrical phenomena in the strict sense and performances of a wider spectacularity, such as circus. Yvette Guilbert’s allusive interpretations, Loïe Fuller’s hypnotic choreographies, Leopoldo Fregoli’s illusionistic transformations, the Grand Guignol quick one-acts and the Hanlon-Lees’ convulsive pantomimes are the outcomes of new compositional methods based on accelerated movement, reproducing moreover the vortex of the rhythms imposed by modern society.