"Does the drama tell the story?" 13th Interdisciplinary Theatre Workshop, Graz

How does scenic and performative storytelling work? How are space and time, different characters’ perspectives and plot developments conveyed in ancient and modern dramatic genres that contain lengthy narrative passages? How do dramatic narratives deal with plot-triggering events, and which aspects of the narrative change or only come to the fore in the first place through direct perception within the theatre space?

Interdisciplinary lectures and a panel discussion will explore these questions in depth.  From a cultural studies perspective, it is of interest to examine the overarching function fulfilled by the narratives of catastrophe and crisis—constitutive of the dramatic genre—in their scenic and performative manifestations. Are they intended to ‘show’ collective and individual suffering and emotions so that they may be lamented and mourned, ultimately leading to catharsis, as Aristotle claimed? What of comedy, its minor and major catastrophes, and its political (societal) implications?

Program

Scientific Board
Susanne Kogler, Eveline Krummen, Rita Rieger, Karoline Gritzner

Organisation
Susanne Kogler, Department of Arts and Musicology in cooperation with the faculty core research area ‘Perception: Episteme, Aesthetics, Politics’