The Theatrical Public Sphere
eBook - PDF

The Theatrical Public Sphere

  1. English
  2. PDF
  3. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF

The Theatrical Public Sphere

About this book

The concept of the public sphere, as first outlined by German philosopher Jürgen Habermas, refers to the right of all citizens to engage in debate on public issues on equal terms. In this book, Christopher B. Balme explores theatre's role in this crucial political and social function. He traces its origins and argues that the theatrical public sphere invariably focuses attention on theatre as an institution between the shifting borders of the private and public, reasoned debate and agonistic intervention. Chapters explore this concept in a variety of contexts, including the debates that led to the closure of British theatres in 1642, theatre's use of media, controversies surrounding race, religion and blasphemy, and theatre's place in a new age of globalised aesthetics. Balme concludes by addressing the relationship of theatre today with the public sphere and whether theatre's transformation into an art form has made it increasingly irrelevant for contemporary society.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, you can cancel anytime from the Subscription tab in your account settings on the Perlego website. Your subscription will stay active until the end of your current billing period. Learn how to cancel your subscription.
No, books cannot be downloaded as external files, such as PDFs, for use outside of Perlego. However, you can download books within the Perlego app for offline reading on mobile or tablet. Learn more here.
Perlego offers two plans: Essential and Complete
  • Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
  • Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
Both plans are available with monthly, semester, or annual billing cycles.
We are an online textbook subscription service, where you can get access to an entire online library for less than the price of a single book per month. With over 1 million books across 1000+ topics, we’ve got you covered! Learn more here.
Look out for the read-aloud symbol on your next book to see if you can listen to it. The read-aloud tool reads text aloud for you, highlighting the text as it is being read. You can pause it, speed it up and slow it down. Learn more here.
Yes! You can use the Perlego app on both iOS or Android devices to read anytime, anywhere — even offline. Perfect for commutes or when you’re on the go.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Yes, you can access The Theatrical Public Sphere by Christopher B. Balme in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Literature & European Drama. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Information

Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Year
2014
Print ISBN
9781107006836
eBook ISBN
9781139989497
Topic
Literature
Subtopic
European Drama
Index
Literature

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Half-title page
  3. Title page
  4. Copyright page
  5. Contents
  6. Figures
  7. Preface
  8. Introduction
  9. Chapter 1 Locating the theatrical public sphere
  10. Chapter 2 Reciprocal articulations: from playbills to blogs
  11. Chapter 3 Openings and closures: Puritans and the pilloried stage
  12. Chapter 4 The prophet onstage: theatre, religion and the transnational public sphere
  13. Chapter 5 Thresholds of tolerance and the publicity of scandal
  14. Chapter 6 Distributed theatrical aesthetics and the global public sphere
  15. References
  16. Index