Pietrzak-Franger, M., Liedke, H. L., & Radak, T. (Eds.) (2023). Presence and Precarity in (Post-)Pandemic Theatre and Performance. Cambridge University Press. Theatre Research International Vol. 48 No. 1
Presence and Precarity in (Post-)Pandemic Theatre and Performance, a special issue of Theatre Research International edited by Monika Pietrzak-Franger, Heidi Lucja Liedke, and Tamara Radak, draws attention to the intertwining of presence and precarity in (post-)pandemic theatre and performance to outline the variety of such displacements, vulnerabilities and insecurities and the effects they have on theatre practice and criticism. Integrating both critical articles and video essays, this special issue also presents an invitation to reflect on and potentially expand the possibilities of critical practice. In dialogue with internationally established experts and early-career researchers from the fields of performance, media and theatre studies, as well as theatre practitioners, this special issue identifies, describes and conceptualizes some of the creative and theatrical processes and practices effectuated by the pandemic. It aims to understand how this particular historical moment shapes the experiences of and expectations towards (post-)pandemic theatre and performance. The papers address the two key themes of presence and precarity through different theoretical lenses, using contemporary case studies of performances staged during the COVID-19 pandemic. Scholars and practitioners from Canada, Germany, Austria, Poland and the UK thus jointly offer a range of international perspectives towards theatre in times of crisis.
Monika Pietrzak-Franger is a professor of British Cultural Studies and Literary Studies at the Department of English and American Studies, University of Vienna.
Heidi Lucja Liedke is Interim Professor of English literature at the Institute of English and American Studies at Goethe University Frankfurt.
Tamara Radak is a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of English and American Studies, University of Vienna.
