August Strindberg

Description

August Strindberg – dramatist, theatre practitioner, novelist, painter, and essayist – was above all one of the most radical innovators of Western theatre, whose exceptionally diverse dramatic output embodied a quintessentially modernist sensibility .

In this new volume, the author provides a critical introduction to August Strindberg’s vital contributions to theatrical modernism by placing his work in a wider cultural and interdisciplinary context. His great achievements in all the various areas he ventured into were mirrored in his eagerness to break down barriers between genres, views, and fields of experience. Strindberg’s re-definition of drama and theatre as a fluid, constantly evolving form came to exert a profound influence on twentieth-century playwriting and theatrical production from the German Expressionists to the Theatre of the Absurd.

Beyond Strindberg’s influence on the modernist movement this volume explores his drama as a living voice that challenges audiences, critics, and even the most innovative directors. August Strindberg provides an essential and accessible insight into the playwright’s work on theatre culture beyond his own time and illustrates the relevance and significance of his work for our understanding of theatre today.

Contents

Overview

Part I

Versions of a life

1 Problematics of biography vs. autobiography

2 Between fiction and reality

Part II

A life in the theatre

3 The Scandinavian Experimental Theatre

4 Strindberg and the Independent Theatre Movement: the first productions

5 Strindberg and stagecraft: theory and practice

6 The Intimate Theatre

Part III

Key plays

7 Naturalism and the modern character

8 Dream-play dramaturgy and modernist allegories

9 The last sonatas

10 Modernizing history

Part IV

Key plays/productions

11 Miss Julie: from failed world premiere to worldwide acclaim

12 A Dream Play: from closet drama to post-modern performance

13 The Ghost Sonata and Strindberg’s haunting legacy

Author Bio

Eszter Szalczer is Assistant Professor of Theatre at the University at Albany, State University of New York. She is the author of Writing Daughters:

August Strindberg's Other Voices (2008), as well as numerous articles and book chapters on Strindberg both in English and Swedish.

Related Subjects

1. Practice & Practitioners
2. Drama Genres