Interrogating interculturalism: confronting the provocative theatricality of Ariane Mnouchkine and Shūji Terayama

• Author / Creator

  Ing, Cynthia P.

• Intercultural theatre is a highly contested form of theatre. Critical
  discussions over its position as a revitalizing force or a colonial instrument have raged on for almost thirty years. An investigation into two theatre directors who have often been in the spotlight concerning these critical discussions, French theatre director, Ariane Mnouchkine, and Japanese cult icon, Shūji Terayama, will illuminate the possibility of moving beyond such oppositions. Both have employed Asian theatre techniques and aesthetics, specifically Japanese, to produce highly theatrical performance events which actively engage their spectators. However, their methods vary from elegant integration to confrontational provocation. An extensive exploration into both artists’ prolific theatre, and the established theories concerning the process of creating intercultural theatre postulated by a range of theorists including, Patrice Pavis, Rustom Bharucha, Jacqueline Lo and Helen Gilbert, will reveal a fresh look at interculturalism where cross-cultural theatre exists on a continuum.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Theatre
  • Terayama
  • Interculturalism
  • Cross-cultural
  • Hybridity
  • Mnouchkine
  • Avant-garde

• Graduation date

  Fall 2010

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Arts

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3906X

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.