Description
What myths nourish today’s theatre? What imaginary worlds does it evoke? What are its recurring stories? What are its visions of the world?
In this study of late-twentieth-century theatre in Europe and the Americas, Valentina Valentini analyses the changed relations between theatre and contemporary reality, between actors and their characters, and examines new roles demanded of both producers and audiences in the realization of theatrical art. In particular she identifies and traces the decisive influence of visual arts and new media on today’s performance scene, a confluence of artistic practices that, Valentini argues, restores theatre to a privileged space in the panorama of contemporary art and aesthetic reflection.
‘Valentina Valentini explores the sweeping transformations that have redefined traditional notions of text, actor, spectacle and audience. Situating her study at the intersections of theatre and visual arts across the centuries, she is equally at home discussing myth and media, drama and the postdramatic, body and image. The volume is strongly grounded in philosophical and theatrical perspectives and shaped by considerable knowledge of multiple art forms and art practices.’
Bonnie Marranca, Editor, PAJ: A Journal of Performance and Art
Valentina Valentini is a professor of performing arts and new media at the University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’ and the director of Centro Teatro Ateneo, Research Centre on Performing Arts, Sapienza University of Rome. She is the editor of the series Audio-Videoteca Teatrale published by Bulzoni and dedicated to the relations between sound and visual in the contemporary performance scene.
Her research focuses on the interrelations between theatre, visual art and new technologies. Her numerous publications include: Drammaturgie Sonore: Teatri del secondo novecento (Dramaturgy of Sound: Theatre of the twentieth century, Bulzoni 2012); Mondi, Corpi, Materie: Teatri del secondo novecento (the original Italian edition of Worlds, Bodies, Matters, Mondadori 2007); Dopo il Teatro Moderno (After Modern Theatre, Politi 1989); Il Poema Visibile: Le prime messe in scena delle tragedie di Gabriele D’Annunzio (The Visible Poem: The first stagings of Gabriele D’Annunzio’s tragedies, Bulzoni 1993); Bill Viola: Vedere con la mente e con il cuore (Bill Viola: Seeing with the mind and heart, Gangemi 1993) and Le Storie del Video and Le Pratiche del Video (Histories of Video and Practices of Video, Bulzoni 2003).
