The Dramaturgy of the Spectator: Italian Theatre and the Public Sphere, 1600-1800

by Tatiana Korneeva

Overview

The Dramaturgy of the Spectator explores how Italian theatre consciously adjusted to the emergence of a new kind of spectator who became central to society, politics, and culture in the mid-seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The author argues that while a focus on spectatorship in isolation has value, if we are to understand the broader stakes of the relationship between the power structures and the public sphere as it was then emerging, we must trace step-by-step how spectatorship as a practice was rooted in the social and cultural politics of Italy at the time. By delineating the evolution of the Italian theatre public, as well as the dramatic innovations and communicative techniques developed in an attempt to manipulate the relationship between spectator and performance, this book pioneers a shift in our understanding of audience as both theoretical concept and historical phenomenon.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781487505356
Publisher:	University of Toronto Press
Publication date:	05/24/2019
Series:	Toronto Italian Studies
Pages:	274
Product dimensions:	6.50(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Tatiana Korneeva is an assistant professor in Comparative Literature at the Freie Universität, Berlin.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements
Chronology

Introduction

1. How Theatre Invents the Public Sphere
2. The Privileged Visibility of the Viewer
3. The Politics of Spectatorship
4. Public Emotions and Emotional Publics
5. Playwrights Fight Back
6. Liberty and the Audience

Epilogue

Bibliography
Index

What People are Saying About This

Ann Hallamore Caesar

"This book charts the evolution of Italian theatre from the mid-seventeenth century to the late eighteenth century and from the closed, elite world of academies and court to the public sphere of the commercial playhouse. Drawing on six interlocking case studies of plays from a range of genres by such playwrights as Scipio Maffei, Carlo Gozzi, Carlo Goldoni, and Vittorio Alfieri, this study makes an important contribution to the debate about the public sphere and offers a new and exciting interpretation of Italian theatre and its audiences."

Igor Candido

"The Dramaturgy of the Spectator adds a new essential dimension to our understanding of the classic age of Italian theatre: the multifaceted perspective of the public. Korneeva convincingly demonstrates how playwrights transformed their spectators into free-thinking critical agents, so that the relationship between author and audience became a driving force for reform in Italian theatre and in politics more broadly. An engaging and fascinating read not only for Italian specialists but for anyone interested in the origins of modern theatre."

Editorial Reviews

"This book charts the evolution of Italian theatre from the mid-seventeenth century to the late eighteenth century and from the closed, elite world of academies and court to the public sphere of the commercial playhouse. Drawing on six interlocking case studies of plays from a range of genres by such playwrights as Scipio Maffei, Carlo Gozzi, Carlo Goldoni, and Vittorio Alfieri, this study makes an important contribution to the debate about the public sphere and offers a new and exciting interpretation of Italian theatre and its audiences."

—Ann Hallamore Caesar, School of Modern Languages and Cultures, University of Warwick

" The Dramaturgy of the Spectator adds a new essential dimension to our understanding of the classic age of Italian theatre: the multifaceted perspective of the public. Korneeva convincingly demonstrates how playwrights transformed their spectators into free-thinking critical agents, so that the relationship between author and audience became a driving force for reform in Italian theatre and in politics more broadly. An engaging and fascinating read not only for Italian specialists but for anyone interested in the origins of modern theatre."

—Igor Candido, Department of Italian, Trinity College Dublin

From the Publisher