Theatre Sacrifice Ritual: Exploring Forms of Political Theatre

<p>In this fascinating volume acclaimed theatre historian Erika Fischer-Lichte reflects on the role and meaning accorded to the theme of sacrifice in Western cultures as mirrored in particular fusions of theatre and ritual. <em>Theatre Sacrifice Ritual</em> presents a radical re-definition of ritual theatre through analysis of performances as diverse as:</p><ul> <li>Max Reinhardt's new people's theatre</li> <li>the mass spectacles of post-revolutionary Russia</li> <li>American Zionist pageants</li> <li>the Olympic Games.</li> </ul><p>In offering both a performative and a semiotic analysis of such performances Fischer-Lichte expertly demonstrates how theatre and ritual are fused in order to tackle the problem of community-building in societies characterised by loss of solidarity and disintegration and exposes the provocative connection between the utopian visions of community they suggest and the notion of sacrifice. </p><p>This innovative study of twentieth-century performative culture boldly examines the complexities of political theatre propaganda and manipulation of the masses and offers a revolutionary approach to the study of theatre and performance history.</p>