Theater Historiography

Critical Interventions

Fresh approaches to theater historiography and performance studies that bring the two fields productively together

Theater Historiography: Critical Interventions is a vital exploration of how we write, interpret, and understand the history of theater. Edited by Henry Bial and Scott Magelssen, this collection brings together leading voices in theater and performance studies to interrogate the methodologies, assumptions, and politics that shape the field. Each of the twenty-one essays offers a concise, thought-provoking intervention, examining topics from classical theater and Roman comedy to digital performance, ethnography, and ecocriticism. Far more than a survey of theatrical pasts, this book considers how the practice of writing theater history has been transformed by postmodern theory, multicultural perspectives, and interdisciplinary approaches. The contributors dig into the ethical dilemmas and evidentiary challenges of the archive, explore the stakes of representation, and confront the silences—as well as the voices—of marginalized or “unhistoried” communities. Organized into thematic sections—including “Unearthing the Past,” “The Stakes of Historiography,” “Historiography for a New Millennium,” “Performance as Historiography,” and “Theater History’s Discipline”—the volume covers a wide range of subjects, from Roman spectacle and colonial India to the impact of digital technology and the evolving relationship between theater history and performance studies. Throughout, Bial and Magelssen provide guidance for scholars and students alike, showing that theater historiography is a continual process of critical self-examination, innovation, and debate. Inspiring, accessible, and intellectually rigorous, Theater Historiography: Critical Interventions is essential reading for anyone interested in how we remember, teach, and make meaning from the rich and complex worlds of theater and performance.

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