The Return of the Body

Abstract

These two volumes by Fischer-Lichte respond to an increasingly important tendency in contemporary theatre: The work of theatre directors like Robert Wilson and Jan Fabre, of experimental groups like Gob Squad or the Wooster Group, and of directors like Frank Castorf or René Pollesch all show that theatre performances continually move away from traditional forms of storytelling. As much as the shows of the above-mentioned groups and invidiuals may differ otherwise, they have one thing in common. They distinguish themselves from conventional forms of representation by focusing on the body and the sensual presence of the on-goings on the stage. This kind of theatre shows a similarity in structure to the action-oriented performances or “happenings” which were staged in the 1960s and 1970s by artists like Joseph Beuys, Allan Kaprow, Wolf Vostell. In volume 1, “Theatre in the Process of Civilization,” Fischer-Lichte examines the role of the body in theatre, tracing concepts of the body from the 18th century to the present. In volume 2, “Embodiment,” Fischer-Lichte wants to go beyond a strictly theatre-focused analysis of embodiment, as she claims that “the concept of embodiment […] [is] in the process of becoming a leading cultural category.” (Fischer-Lichte 2001: 20) Thus, the authors of the contributions to this volume address different aspects of this issue of from the perspectives of a variety of academic disciplines.