Sound : a reader in theatre practice [Book review]

Abstract

After shifting the weight of the theatrical act towards the actor at the turn of the twentieth century, theatre practitioners in the West continued, since at least the 1960s, to give more space to the performative dimension of their work. It was a gradual but constant flow of change, which had its effects on theatre making. At the turn of the twenty-first century we are faced with a performance reality that is challenging us with its intrinsic, and arguably ontological, hybridity, thereby justifying Hans-Thies Lehmann’s call for ‘the de-hierarchization of theatrical means’ (2006: 86). This claim reaffirms similar assertions made earlier by theatre practitioners, notably Eugenio Barba, who speaks of simultaneity of means in the construction of dramaturgy (Barba and Savarese 2006: 66–71). It also acknowledges the effects recent developments in performance studies are having on the theatre event itself. Current reconsiderations of both the theory and praxis of performance-making processes in theatre are often contextualized within such theoretical frameworks.