Theatrocracy

Greek Drama, Cognition, and the Imperative for Theatre

Nonfiction, History, Ancient History
Cover of the book Theatrocracy by Peter Meineck, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Peter Meineck ISBN: 9781315466552
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: July 14, 2017
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Peter Meineck
ISBN: 9781315466552
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: July 14, 2017
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

Theatrocracy is a book about the power of the theatre, how it can affect the people who experience it, and the societies within which it is embedded. It takes as its model the earliest theatrical form we possess complete plays from, the classical Greek theatre of the fifth century BCE, and offers a new approach to understanding how ancient drama operated in performance and became such an influential social, cultural, and political force, inspiring and being influenced by revolutionary developments in political engagement and citizen discourse. Key performative elements of Greek theatre are analyzed from the perspective of the cognitive sciences as embodied, live, enacted events, with new approaches to narrative, space, masks, movement, music, words, emotions, and empathy. This groundbreaking study combines research from the fields of the affective sciences – the study of human emotions – including cognitive theory, neuroscience, psychology, artificial intelligence, psychiatry, and cognitive archaeology, with classical, theatre, and performance studies.

This book revisits what Plato found so unsettling about drama – its ability to produce a theatrocracy, a "government" of spectators – and argues that this was not a negative but an essential element of Athenian theatre. It shows that Athenian drama provided a place of alterity where audiences were exposed to different viewpoints and radical perspectives. This perspective was, and is, vital in a freethinking democratic society where people are expected to vote on matters of state. In order to achieve this goal, the theatre offered a dissociative and absorbing experience that enhanced emotionality, deepened understanding, and promoted empathy. There was, and still is, an urgent imperative for theatre.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Theatrocracy is a book about the power of the theatre, how it can affect the people who experience it, and the societies within which it is embedded. It takes as its model the earliest theatrical form we possess complete plays from, the classical Greek theatre of the fifth century BCE, and offers a new approach to understanding how ancient drama operated in performance and became such an influential social, cultural, and political force, inspiring and being influenced by revolutionary developments in political engagement and citizen discourse. Key performative elements of Greek theatre are analyzed from the perspective of the cognitive sciences as embodied, live, enacted events, with new approaches to narrative, space, masks, movement, music, words, emotions, and empathy. This groundbreaking study combines research from the fields of the affective sciences – the study of human emotions – including cognitive theory, neuroscience, psychology, artificial intelligence, psychiatry, and cognitive archaeology, with classical, theatre, and performance studies.

This book revisits what Plato found so unsettling about drama – its ability to produce a theatrocracy, a "government" of spectators – and argues that this was not a negative but an essential element of Athenian theatre. It shows that Athenian drama provided a place of alterity where audiences were exposed to different viewpoints and radical perspectives. This perspective was, and is, vital in a freethinking democratic society where people are expected to vote on matters of state. In order to achieve this goal, the theatre offered a dissociative and absorbing experience that enhanced emotionality, deepened understanding, and promoted empathy. There was, and still is, an urgent imperative for theatre.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book Executive Coaching by Peter Meineck
Cover of the book Stuart Academic Drama by Peter Meineck
Cover of the book The Structure and Measurement of Intelligence by Peter Meineck
Cover of the book Contested Words by Peter Meineck
Cover of the book Metrical Psalmody in Print and Practice by Peter Meineck
Cover of the book Revival: The Business of Insurance (1904) by Peter Meineck
Cover of the book Reluctant Europeans by Peter Meineck
Cover of the book Manipulating Political Decentralisation by Peter Meineck
Cover of the book What Is Psychoanalysis? by Peter Meineck
Cover of the book Practical Cinematography by Peter Meineck
Cover of the book Geographies of Mobility by Peter Meineck
Cover of the book Managing Change by Peter Meineck
Cover of the book Descartes and the Autonomy of the Human Understanding by Peter Meineck
Cover of the book Everyday SEL in Elementary School by Peter Meineck
Cover of the book Decision-Making Groups and Teams by Peter Meineck
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy