This study offers an inquiry into the historical context of the invention, consolidation, and on-going popularity of the ancient theatre typology based on the Greek-Roman &amp / #8216 / binarism&amp / #8217 / , for a better understanding of its philosophical and theoretical foundations. It scrutinises those foundations in order to discover, in their limitations for an assessment and restitution of the architectural characteristics of extant ancient theatre remains, a new set of variables for devising an alternative method of classification that adopts the &amp / #8216 / network&amp / #8217 / model. The classification made on the basis of the geographical distribution of the extant ancient theatre remains in modern Spain and Greece according to their size, their construction period, and the construction technique applied in their cavea enables an interpretation of Roman period theatre construction activity in these two regions of the Mediterranean from a &amp / #8216 / geo-historical&amp / #8217 / point of view, in the light of the variety of processes expressed by the term &amp / #8216 / Romanisation&amp / #8217 / . A comparative analysis of the examples in the two study areas along Fernand Braudel&amp / #8217 / s three historical time planes reveals the structural differences between the two corresponding provinces of the Roman Empire, highlighting the usefulness of adopting a &amp / #8216 / rhizomatic&amp / #8217 / model instead of a &amp / #8216 / binary&amp / #8217 / one in typological studies of ancient theatre architecture for their better integration into contemporary discourses emphasizing &amp / #8216 / cultural diversity&amp / #8217 / and &amp / #8216 / change&amp / #8217 / in the Mediterranean basin.

abstract: The original-practices movement as a whole claims its authority from early modern theatrical conditions. Some practitioners claim Shakespeare in many ways as their co-creator; asserting that they perform the plays as Shakespeare intended. Other companies recognize the impossibility of an authorial text, and for them authority shifts to the Renaissance theatre apparatus as a whole. But the reality is that all of these companies necessarily produce modern theatre influenced by the 400 years since Shakespeare. Likewise, audiences do not come to these productions and forget the intervening centuries. This dissertation questions the new tradition created by using early modern performance practices, asking how original-practices theatre is situated and arguing that though the desire to rediscover the past fueled the movement, the productions actually presented are in negotiation with modernity. The dissertation begins by looking at the rhetoric surrounding the original-practices movement, then at the physical aspects of early modern performance recreated for modern stages and the desire for material authenticity. This project also explores the ways in which race and gender play key roles within Shakespearean texts presented on stage, and argues that while gender occasionally has attention called to it, race is nearly always ignored to the point of whitewashing. I argue that because these companies insist on the universality of Shakespeare, they need to examine and deal with the racism and sexism inherent within the plays. Finally, this project explores the influence original-practices productions exerts upon audiences, including aspects such as attendees' expectations, architectural spaces, and performance, and argues that together, these elements lead to a far more cohesive and responsive audience than that which is found at traditional theatre performances. This interactivity and group mentality can lead to thrilling theatre, but can also pose dangers in the form of positive responses to xenophobic, racist, or misogynist elements within the texts, acting as early-modern audiences did and reifying those negative stereotypes and prejudices. While original-practices theatre includes the danger of being something only of historical interest, it also presents opportunities for exciting, progressive theatre that reaches audiences who do not typically go to see Shakespeare or other performances. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. English 2013

The main topic of this diploma thesis is to solve problematic situation of the Slovac Theatre in Uherske Hradiste. Today, the progressive theater ensemble is housed in a former Sokol‘s building, which is not capable of fullfilling requirements of a complicated theatrical structure. The theater ensemble's organism is also disturbed by the separation of the studio scene outside the main theater area. The project explores the possibilities of moving the theater to a new building, which is located in Smetanovy sady, close to the historical centre of Uherske Hradiste. The design of the building responds to the environment of the regional city, the needs of a specific theater ensemble and modern theatrical procedures supported by the analysis of Czech theater architecture.

Doctor of Philosophy / This thesis presents a systematic investigation of the backstage spaces of theatres in the city of Sydney, Australia, combining the documentation of eight specific theatre buildings with ethnographic accounts of performers’ activities within them. As the title of the thesis suggests, my focus throughout is to better understand the ‘place’ of performers, the ways in which performers inhabit certain physical, social, and imaginative realms. Through this thesis I assess the impact of backstage spaces on performers’ work processes, their performances, and their own understandings of what it is to be a performer. To undertake this assessment I conduct a tripartite survey of the backstage spaces afforded performers, taking into consideration ‘perceived’ space (space as it is empirically measured), ‘conceived’ space (space as it is represented), and ‘lived’ space (space as it is experienced). Approaching this survey via Edward Casey’s understanding of ‘place,’ my analysis is informed by a range of theories, notably, spatial syntax analysis, discourse analysis, and phenomenology. Through this thesis I develop two overarching and interconnected arguments. The first is that theatrical performance is profoundly affected by the features of backstage support spaces and by performers’ backstage practices. Building on this, the second is that a study of backstage spaces offers a particularly apposite approach to further understanding the ‘place’ of theatrical performers. I contend that the backstage spaces performers inhabit can be characterised by their very poverty and that these poor conditions testify to a widespread ignorance and ambivalence on the part of society at large towards performers’ needs. Furthermore, noting the way in which performers valorise their own abilities to compromise and adapt, I argue that backstage areas largely inform performers’ dominant discourses of professionalism and worth. Ultimately, I identify the ‘place’ of the performer as one of flux that necessitates the constant negotiation of significant tensions. [Please note: The photographic documentation and building plans referred to in the text of this thesis are not available online. Please contact the Department of Performance Studies at the University of Sydney or the Sydney eScholarship Repository.]

Doctor of Philosophy / This thesis presents a systematic investigation of the backstage spaces of theatres in the city of Sydney, Australia, combining the documentation of eight specific theatre buildings with ethnographic accounts of performers’ activities within them. As the title of the thesis suggests, my focus throughout is to better understand the ‘place’ of performers, the ways in which performers inhabit certain physical, social, and imaginative realms. Through this thesis I assess the impact of backstage spaces on performers’ work processes, their performances, and their own understandings of what it is to be a performer. To undertake this assessment I conduct a tripartite survey of the backstage spaces afforded performers, taking into consideration ‘perceived’ space (space as it is empirically measured), ‘conceived’ space (space as it is represented), and ‘lived’ space (space as it is experienced). Approaching this survey via Edward Casey’s understanding of ‘place,’ my analysis is informed by a range of theories, notably, spatial syntax analysis, discourse analysis, and phenomenology. Through this thesis I develop two overarching and interconnected arguments. The first is that theatrical performance is profoundly affected by the features of backstage support spaces and by performers’ backstage practices. Building on this, the second is that a study of backstage spaces offers a particularly apposite approach to further understanding the ‘place’ of theatrical performers. I contend that the backstage spaces performers inhabit can be characterised by their very poverty and that these poor conditions testify to a widespread ignorance and ambivalence on the part of society at large towards performers’ needs. Furthermore, noting the way in which performers valorise their own abilities to compromise and adapt, I argue that backstage areas largely inform performers’ dominant discourses of professionalism and worth. Ultimately, I identify the ‘place’ of the performer as one of flux that necessitates the constant negotiation of significant tensions. [Please note: The photographic documentation and building plans referred to in the text of this thesis are not available online. Please contact the Department of Performance Studies at the University of Sydney or the Sydney eScholarship Repository.]