FoucaultS Theatres

(Hardback)

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The volume contributes to a new articulation of theatre and performance studies via Foucault's critical thought. With cutting edge studies by established and emerging writers in areas such as dramaturgy, film, music, cultural history and journalism, the volume aims to be accessible for both experienced researchers and advanced students encountering Foucault's work for the first time. The introduction sets out a thorough and informative assessment of Foucault's relevance to theatre and performance studies and to our present cultural moment - it rereads his profound engagement with questions of truth, power and politics, in light of previously unknown writings and lectures set in relation to current political and cultural concerns. Unique to this volume is the discovery of a 'theatrical' Foucault - the profound affinity of his thinking with questions of performativity. This discovery makes accessible the 'performance turn' to readers of Foucault, while opening up ways of reading Foucault's oeuvre 'theatrically'. -- .

Reviews

This book comes at a time when Foucaults concerns with power, truth and knowledge could not be more pressing. So the focus here is on Foucault as a theatrical thinker. Taking the philosopher at his word, essays deploy the tropes and optics of theatre to examine Foucaults own methods and the practices of governance and workings of power he made it his lifes work to engage with. Demonstrating different ways of responding to the question that underpinned so much of Foucaults project: What are the practices that permit the daily work of desubjugation the possibilities voiced here could not be more pertinent; a fortification against the perils of the day.
Jane Rendell, Professor of Critical Spatial Practice, The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL.

Author Bio

Tony Fisher is Reader in Theatre and Philosophy and Associate Director of Research at the Royal Central School for Speech and Drama, University of London

Klina Gotman is Senior Reader in Theatre and Performance Studies at King's College London and Hlderlin Guest Professor in Comparative Dramaturgy at the Goethe Universitt Frankfurt