The Theatricalists
Making Politics Appear

Theron Schmidt (Author)

9780810147546

Paperback / softback, published 15 September 2024

264 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.8 cm, 0.454 kg

"This wonderful book revels in the paradoxical interanimations among theatre, theatricality, politics, and performativity. Schmidt helps us think deeply about participatory practices, situating spectatorship as a mode of being-with – the grounds for political as well as theatrical “appearance.” The Theatricalists usefully suspends the real/fake binary that screens theatrical acts from political acts in order to take a deep look at the work of appearance. Thick description and careful close readings make this book a pleasure to think alongside, with, and through."—Rebecca Schneider, Brown University

“The Theatricalists is a powerful contribution to crucial discussions in theater and performance studies from the last three decades. Schmidt brings together an effective re-excavation of pivotal texts and events with current cases advancing the relevance of ‘theatricality’ as a central concern of contemporary performance and criticism.” —Michael Peterson, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Examines how the politics of the theatre can illuminate the theatricality of politics

Theatricality is often dismissed as a distraction from “real” politics, as when cynical political gestures are derided as “pure theatre” or “only theatre.” But the artists and theater companies discussed in this book, including Back to Back Theatre, Tim Crouch, Rabih MrouÉ, Nature Theater of Oklahoma, and Christoph Schlingensief, take a different approach. Theron Schmidt argues that they represent a “theatricalist turn” that explores and tests the conditions of the theater itself. Across diverse contexts of political engagement, ranging from disability rights to representations of violence, these theatrical conditions are interconnected with political struggles, such as those over who is seen and heard, how labour is valued, and what counts as “political” in the first place. In a so-called post-political era, The Theatricalists argues that an examination of theatre’s internal politics can expand our understanding of the theatricality of politics more broadly.