Publisher's Synopsis
The Austrian theatrical tradition encompasses a wide variety of types, from Mozart's light operas to the political drama of the present day. This volume describes the main features of Austrian theatre and performance, taking a close look at the works of its key writers. Beginning with Mozart, Grillparzer and Nestroy, it moves on to the feminist theatre of Elfriede Jelinek, the provocations of Peter Handke and the Graz avant-garde, and the satirical comedies of Vaclav Havel. It raises fundamental questions about the relationship between public performance and national identity, gender and sexuality, audience and spectacle, as well as problems of translation and reception. Encompassing music, theatre, politics and performance, this is a wide-ranging account of a thriving and defining feature of Austrian cultural identity.
