- audience research
- perception
- performance analysis
- theatre sociology
The Theatrical Event
"A Theatrical Event is qualified by someone doing something, ostentatiously enough to be distinguished from everyday life, and someone who observes the doer, and acknowledges that what is being done is different." (Theatrical Events, Rodopi 2004: 11)
KEYWORDS
CONVENORS
Smadar Mor, Tel Aviv University: smadarmo@tauex.tau.ac.il
Rikard Hoogland, Stockholm University: rikard.hoogland@teater.su.se
Call for papers. Cologne 2025, 9-13 June
Cultural Policy, Institutionalism, Values, Reception and
Democratization of the Performing Arts
Rethinking the Theatrical Event
This year the Theatrical Event Working Group is celebrating 28 years of annual meetings, intensive discussions and criticism, five book publications and a sixth on its way. Every year, the group members find more surprising theoretical perspectives and analytical tools of quality and value. We invite new participants, as well as current and former members of the group, to contribute fresh suggestions and future directions for our meeting in Cologne in 2025.
Contributions may deal with any kind of historical or contemporary theatrical event in the broadest sense, i.e. from traditional theatre performances to installations, rituals and ceremonies, festivals, concerts, games etc. Of special interest this year is the Cultural Context in form of cultural policy, state regulations and laws and the Contextual Theatricality in form of democratization of performing art institutions and its impact on the Theatrical Event as a whole. The point of departure should always be a particular event described and analysed from a specific perspective: its conventions, organisation, time and place, the encounter between performers and spectators or the general character of playing. In all cases, cultural and other key contexts should be taken into consideration.
Contributors are expected to get familiar with the books the Working Group has published, in particular some of the theoretical ideas and models which were presented in Theatrical Events (2004), Festivalising! (2007) Playing Culture (2014); and Theatre Scandals (2020).
You are welcome to submit an abstract (250 words max.) through the IFTR conference system. For submitting an abstract, please join the IFTR or renew your membership. on the Cambridge Core website. Deadline for abstract submission: 22 January 2025.
Contributions for the Cologne conference should make explicit theoretical frames and chosen perspectives, conceived as a work-in-progress. Once the abstract has been accepted, the first version of the paper (no more than 3-4000 words, with a clear idea but ample room for revisions and additions). should be distributed among the group’s members about 3 weeks before the meeting. Following a brief presentation, our discussions during the conference will primarily focus on providing constructive feedback, as all participants are expected to read the papers in advance. This process aims to help authors refine their ideas and further develop their drafts into final texts, which will be reviewed again at the Working Group's meeting in 2026.
The convenors will be happy to answer any questions and advise the new members of the group.
About the Theatrical Event Working Group
The Theatrical Event Working Group was established in Puebla, Mexico in 1997. The group’s mission is to rethink and reconsider the fundamental definitions, limitations and structures of the Theatrical Event. It has adopted a series of methodological criteria and their interconnections to discuss any theatrical event:
· Cultural contexts
· Contextual theatricality
· Theatrical playing
· Playing culture
The group accepts discussion on subjects that concern happenings within a theatre, as well as events that occur outside a theatre but bear theatrical characteristics, which can be analysed through the lens of theatre studies.
The Theatrical Event working group functions by deciding upon a theme and circulating papers pertinent to that theme before the annual IFTR conference, which are read by all participants. Anyone who is a paid-up member of the IFTR can participate in the working group, either by submitting a paper, or by attending the sessions and listening to the discussions. During working group sessions, a short presentation of each paper is given, followed by discussion of the whole group.
It will be an open call that invite papers topics that concern any of the four points of the Theatrical Event.
Current projects
The Theatrical Event WG editorial committee intend to finalize the book project Theatre for Young Audiences, Theatre with Students and Amateur Theatre, in the beginning of 2025. Book launch will hopefully take place at the IFTR conference in June 2025.
COMPLETED PUBLICATIONS/OUTPUTS
Theatrical Events. Borders, Dynamics, Frames, edited by Vicki Ann Cremona, Peter Eversmann, Hans van Mannen, Willmar Sauter and John Tulloch. Amsterdam: Rodopi, 2004. This book contains theories and methodologies that allow the reader to understand the concepts behind what is meant by 'theatrical event'. Details here.
Festivalising! Theatrical Events, Politics and Culture, edited by Temple Hauptfleisch, Shulamith Lev-aladgem, Jacqueline Martin, Willmar Sauter and Henri Schoenmakers. Amsterdam: Rodopi, 2007. Details here.
Playing Culture. Conventions and Extensions of Performance, edited by Vicki Ann Cremona, Rikard Hoogland, Gay Morris, Willmar Sauter. Amsterdam: Rodopi, 2014. Details here.
Poetics of Playing. Fictionality, Reality and Playing in between, Nordic Theatre Studies, Vol. 26, No. 1, 2014. Edited by Anneli Saro, Ulla Kallenbach, Rikard Hoogland.Open Access publication.
Theatre Scandals. Social Dynamics of Turbulent Theatrical Events, edited by: Vicki Ann Cremona, Peter Eversmann, Bess Rowen, Anneli Saro, Henri Schoenmakers. Leiden/Boston: Brill Rodopi, 2020. Details here.