Theatre, Communication, Critical Realism [Paperback]

From oral culture, through the advent of literacy, to the introduction of printing, to the development of electronic media, communication structures have radically altered culture in profound ways. As the first book to take a critical realist approach to culture, Theatre, Communication, Critical Realism examines theatre and its history through the interaction of society s structures, agents, and discourses. Tobin Nellhaus shows that communication structure - a culture s use and development of speech, handwriting, printing, and electronics - explains much about why, when, and how theatre has transformed.Introduction Philosophy, History, Theatre Orality, Literacy and Early Theatre Embodiment, Agency, and Performance Strategies Social Ontology, (Meta)theatricality, and the History of Communication Conclusion: New Media, Old Problems

'The author explains why major shifts in theater history have tended to follow revolutions in communication - from orality to writing, to print, to electronics...Highly recommended.' - CHOICE

Tobin Nellhaus's Theatre, Communication, Critical Realism is a thought-provoking addition to the literature on theatre historiography.The central claim is simply stated: changes in a culture's communication structures cause shifts in theatrical practice. Nellhaus's approach, though, is far from ordinary; he critiques foundational assumptions of historical theory and offers a new and useful method with which to question agency, structure, and causality. His case for this new perspective is solid, and its applications are well-demonstrated and clearly presented. - Theatre Journal

Nellhaus's book is a clear-headed, compelling and important addition to our understanding of the causes of historical change and the intersection of philosophy, theatre and communication theory. It offers a unique and productive perspective on a complex and difficult topic and renders it in a provocative and readable form. - ContemlCž