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Volume 34 of Theatre History Studies revisits the foundations of
theatre, explores the boundaries and definitions of theatre, and
illuminates how writing about the history of theatre is itself a
form of historiography. The five essays are arranged
chronologically, starting with Alan Sikes's discussion of the
Abydos Passion Play. Sikes challenges the long-held interpretation
of that ritualized annual reenactment of the death, dismemberment,
and return to life of Egyptian god-king Osiris as the world's first
recorded dramatic production. In analyzing the "Passion Play"-Sikes
argues the term is not apt-he applies semiotic theory using ""sign
and referent"" to revise general concepts of mimesis, and in so
doing clarifies the fundamental answer to the question, "What is
theatre?" In a pair of essays, Andrew Gibb and Nicole Berkin both
explore theatre during America's antebellum period. Gibb examines
minstrelsy in antebellum California, exploding narrow definitions
of minstrelsy as a primarily Eastern phenomenon and one reflecting
a stark interaction of two races. Following the story of Jewish
African Caribbean immigrant William Alexander Leidesdorff, Gibb
demonstrates that national forms are always affected by their local
productions and audiences. Berkin's essay focuses on the struggles
over cultural power that took place between popular entertainers
and theatre managers. She examines how both parties used touring
strategically to engage with antebellum notions of deception and
fraud. The last two essays, by Megan Geigner and Heide Nees,
present findings from performance studies which, by examining a
wide array of dramatic and performative texts, expands the
interdisciplinary foundations of theatre history studies. This
fascinating collection is rounded out by an expanded selection of
insightful reviews of recent literature in the area.
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