| Festive Drama: Papers from the Sixth Triennial Colloquium of the International Society for the Study of Medieval Theatre, Lancaster, Contributor(s): Twycross, Meg (Editor), Knight, Alan E. (Contribution by), Potter, Bob (Contribution by) |
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ISBN: 0859914968 ISBN-13: 9780859914963 Publisher: Boydell & Brewer OUR PRICE: $123.50 Product Type: Hardcover Published: March 1996 Annotation: The essays collected here centre upon the idea of 'festive drama', encompassing processions and folk-customs, as well as full-blown plays. Geographically wide-ranging, with material from Spain, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Britain, Denmark, and Bohemia (now the Czech Republic), the main focus is the medieval period, referring however to a style and approach rather than time-scale, and reflecting a culture in which there are no firm divisions between drama and pageantry and traditional ceremonies. The essays are linked by some remarkably consistent themes: the world turned upside-down of Shrovetide; the emotive force of religious celebration; and the links between commerce and the demonstration of civic pride. Adopting a theoretical viewpoint, some articles see festive customs as indicating the hidden agendas of popular culture, and attempt to fit them into various patterns of social tension and evolution; others reconstruct the social dynamics of particular performances, or ask when tradition becomes heritage. Throughout, the book opens a fascinating window on the variety of ways in which people can enjoy themselves and celebrate their social identity. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Literary Criticism | Medieval |
| Dewey: 809.202 |
| LCCN: 95049180 |
| Physical Information: 0.69" H x 6.14" W x 9.21" (1.30 lbs) 294 pages |
| Themes: - Chronological Period - Medieval (500-1453) |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Festive drama, in these studies, includes processions and folk-customs as well as full-blown plays, from Spain, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Britain, Denmark, and Bohemia (now the Czech Republic). The main focus is the middleages, but style and approach are as relevant as time-scale, reflecting a culture in which there are no firm divisions between drama and pageantry and traditional ceremonies. Common themes emerge: the world turned upside-down of Shrovetide; the emotive power of religious celebration; and the links between commerce and the demonstration of civic pride. Festive customs are viewed as hidden agendas of popular culture, and performances are reconstructed. Thisis the obverse of art and power: the means by which the people, not the princes, rule the world. Professor MEG TWYCROSS teaches at the Department of English at Lancaster University. Contributors: PETER H. GREENFIELD, OLGA HORNER, SHEILA LINDENBAUM, CLAIRE SPONSLER, RONALD E. SURTZ, RAFAEL PORTILLO, MANUEL J. GOMEZ LARA, PAMELA M. KING, ROBERT POTTER, JOHN CARTWRIGHT, DAVID MILLS, JAMES STOKES, ALAN E. KNIGHT, MARJOKE DE ROOS, FEMKE KRAMER, TOM PETTITT, LEIF SNDERGAARD, WIM HÜSKEN, JEAN-MARC PASTRÉÉ, SALLY-BETH MACLEAN, MALCOLM JONES, CHRISTINE RICHARDSON, JARMILA F. VELTRUSKY, JOHN COLDEWEY. |
