Reading Theatre.

Intro -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- Foreword -- Introduction -- Chapter I: Text-Performance -- 1. The Performance-Text Relation -- 1.1. The Text-Performance Opposition -- 1.2. The Distinction between Text and Performance -- 2. The Theatrical Sign -- 2.1. On Theatrical Communication -- 2.2. The Sassurian Definition of the Sign -- 2.3. Non-verbal Signs -- 2.4. Performance and Codes -- 2.5. Remarks on the Theatrical Sign -- 2.6. Denotation, Connotation -- 2.7. The Sign Triad and Theatre -- 2.8. The Problem of the Referent -- 3. Theatre and Communication -- 3.1. Two Sets of Signs -- 3.2. The Six Functions -- 3.3. The Receiver-Audience -- 3.4. Illusion-Denial -- 3.5. Trance and Knowledge -- Chapter II: The Actantial Model in Theatre -- 1. The Larger Structures -- 1.1. Macrostructures -- 1.2. Surface/Deep -- 1.3. Structure and History -- 1.4. The Theatrical Story -- 2. Animate Elements: From Actant to Theatre -- 3. The Actantial Model -- 3.1. Actants -- 3.2. The Helper-Opponent Pair -- 3.3. The Sender-Receiver Pair -- 3.4. Subject-Object -- 3.5. Sender and Subject: Autonomy of the Subject? -- 3.6. The Arrow of Desire -- 3.7. Actantial Triangles -- 3.8. Multiple Models -- 3.9. Some Conclusions -- 4. Actors and Roles -- 4.1. Actors -- 4.2. Roles -- 4.3. Procedures -- Chapter III: The Character -- 1. Criticism of the Concept of Character -- 1.1. Character and Meaning -- 1.2. The Textual Character -- 1.3. On the Character as Locus -- 1.4. The Character Lives On -- 2. The Character and Its Three Main Themes -- 2.1. The Character and Its Figures -- 2.2. The Individual-Character -- 2.3. The Character as Subject of Discourse -- 3. Procedures for the Analysis of Characters -- 3.1. Establishing an Actantial Model -- 3.2. Character and Paradigms -- 3.3. Analysis of the Character's Discourse -- 4. Theatricalization of the Character.

Chapter IV: Theatre and Space -- 1. The Stage Locus -- 1.1. Text and Stage Locus -- 1.2. A Locus to Be Constructed -- 1.3. A Concrete Locus -- 2. Towards a Semiology of Theatrical Space -- 2.1. Space and the Social Sciences -- 2.2. The Spacial Sign in Theatre -- 3. Theatrical Space and How to Approach It -- 3.1. Space and Text -- 3.2. Text, Space, and Society -- 3.3. Space and Psychological Elements -- 3.4. Stage Space as Icon of the Text -- 3.5. Space and Poetics: Consequences -- 4. The Stage and Its Point of Departure -- 4.1. History and Codes -- 4.2. The Concrete Space of the Stage -- 5. Space and the Audience -- 5.1. Space and Perception -- 5.2. The Audience and Theatricalization -- 5.3. Denial -- 6. Spatial Paradigms -- 6.1. The Content of Dramatic Spaces -- 6.2. The Stage and the Off-stage -- 6.3. Transformations -- 7. Theatrical Architecture and Space -- 8. The Theatrical Object -- 8.1. How Objects Are Used -- 8.2. How to Read Objects -- 8.3. Towards a Textual Classification of the Object -- 8.4. The Text-Performance Relation and the Object -- Chapter V: Theatre and Time -- 1. Duration and Theatrical Time -- 1.1. The Unity of Time -- 1.2. Temporal Discontinuity -- 1.3. The Dialectic of Time -- 1.4. Space-Time or Temporal Rhetoric -- 2. Temporal Signifiers -- 2.1. Didascalic Signifiers -- 2.2. Rhythms -- 2.3. Characters' Discourse -- 2.4. Closure -- 2.5. Temporality as a Relation between Signifiers -- 3. Reference -- 3.1. Framing -- 3.2. The Here-and-Now -- 3.3. Historicizing the Present -- 4. Time and Sequences -- 4.1. Three Moments -- 4.2. Long Sequences -- 4.3. The Sequence of Average Length -- 4.4. Micro-Sequences -- Chapter VI: Theatrical Discourse -- 1. Conditions for Theatrical Discourse -- 1.1. Definitions -- 1.2. Theatrical Enunciation -- 1.3. Twofold Enunciation -- 1.4. Discourse and the Process of Communication.

2. The Discourse of the Scriptor -- 2.1. Theatrical Enunciation and the Imperative -- 2.2. We Are in the Theatre -- 2.3. The Discourse of the Scriptor as a Totality -- 2.4. Scriptor's Speech, Character's Speech -- 2.5. The Sender-Scriptor and the Receiver-Public -- 3. The Character's Discourse -- 3.1. The Character's Discourse as Message: The Six Functions -- 3.2. The Character's Language -- 3.3. Heterogeneity of the Character's Discourse -- 4. Dialogue, Dialogism, Dialectics -- 4.1. Dialogue and Situation of Dialogue -- 4.2. Dialogue and Ideology -- 4.3. Questioning Dialogue -- 4.4. Contradictions -- 4.5. Utterances in Dialogue -- 4.6. Some Procedures for Analysing Dialogue -- 4.7. Some Concluding Remarks -- A Prelude to Performance -- The Real and the Body -- The Cleaning Rags and the Serviettes -- Exorcism, Exercise -- Pre-existing Meaning -- NOTES -- BIBLIOGRAPHY -- INDEX OF TERMS -- A -- C -- D -- E -- F -- I -- K -- L -- M -- O -- P -- R -- S -- T -- U -- INDEX OF AUTHORS AND TITLES -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- J -- K -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- Q -- R -- S -- T -- U -- V -- W.

Ubersfeld show how formal analysis can enrich the work of theatre practioners and offers a reading of the symbolic structures of stage space and time as well as opening up mulitple possibilities for interpreting a play's line of action.

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Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, Michigan : ProQuest Ebook Central, 2024. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to ProQuest Ebook Central affiliated libraries.