Postmodern theatre is a recent phenomenon in world theatre, coming as it does out of the

postmodern Postmodernism is an intellectual stance or Rhetorical modes, mode of discourseNuyen, A.T., 1992. The Role of Rhetorical Devices in Postmodernist Discourse. Philosophy & Rhetoric, pp.183–194. characterized by philosophical skepticism, skepticis ...

philosophy Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. ...

that originated in Europe in the middle of the twentieth century. Postmodern theatre emerged as a reaction against modernist theatre. Most postmodern productions are centered on highlighting the fallibility of definite truth, instead encouraging the audience to reach their own individual understanding. Essentially, thus, postmodern theatre raises questions rather than attempting to supply answers.

Postmodern techniques

A postmodern theatrical production might make use of some or all of the following techniques: # The accepted norms of seeing and representing the world are challenged and disregarded, while experimental theatrical perceptions and representations are created. # A

pastiche A pastiche is a work of visual art, literature, theatre, music, or architecture that imitates the style or character of the work of one or more other artists. Unlike parody, pastiche pays homage to the work it imitates, rather than mocking i ...

of different textualities and

media Media may refer to: Communication * Media (communication), tools used to deliver information or data ** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising ** Broadcast media, communications delivered over mass e ...

forms are used, including the simultaneous use of multiple art or media forms, and there is the 'theft' of a heterogeneous group of artistic forms. # The narrative needs not be complete but can be broken,

paradox A paradox is a logically self-contradictory statement or a statement that runs contrary to one's expectation. It is a statement that, despite apparently valid reasoning from true premises, leads to a seemingly self-contradictory or a logically u ...

ical and imagistic. There is a movement away from linearity to multiplicity (to inter-related webs of stories), where acts and scenes give way to a series of peripatetic dramatic moments. # Characters are fragmented, forming a collection of contrasting and parallel shards stemming from a central idea, theme or traditional character. # Each new performance of a theatrical pieces is a new

Gestalt Gestalt may refer to: Psychology * Gestalt psychology, a school of psychology * Gestalt therapy, a form of psychotherapy * Bender Visual-Motor Gestalt Test, an assessment of development disorders * Gestalt Practice, a practice of self-exploration ...

, a unique spectacle, with no intent on methodically repeating a play. # The audience is integral to the shared

meaning-making In psychology, meaning-making is the process of how people construe, understand, or make sense of life events, relationships, and the self. The term is widely used in constructivist approaches to counseling psychology and psychotherapy, especial ...

of the performance process and its members are included in the dialogue of the play. # There is a rejection of the notions of "High" and "Low" art. The production exists only in the viewer's mind as what the viewer interprets - nothing more and nothing less. # The rehearsal process in a theatrical production is driven more by shared meaning-making and improvisation, rather than the scripted text. # The play steps back from reality to create its own self-conscious atmosphere. This is sometimes referred to as

metatheatre Metatheatre, and the closely related term metadrama, describes the aspects of a play that draw attention to its nature as drama or theatre, or to the circumstances of its performance. "Breaking the Fourth Wall" is an example of a metatheatrical de ...

. While these techniques are often found in postmodern productions they are never part of a centralised movement or style. Rather, they are tools for authentic introspection, questioning and representation of human experience.

Notable examples of postmodern theatre

* Griselda Gambaro's '' Information For Foreigners'' * Ozono Production's ''

Fuerzabruta ''Fuerza Bruta'' is a postmodern theatre show that originated in Buenos Aires in 2003 and was created by Diqui James. It is also the name of the company that brings the show. Members of the company that created ''Fuerza Bruta'' were co-creators ...

'' * Heiner Müller's ''

Hamletmachine ''Hamletmachine'' (german: Die Hamletmaschine) is a postmodernist drama by German playwright and theatre director Heiner Müller. Written in 1977, the play is loosely based on ''Hamlet'' by William Shakespeare. The play originated in relation t ...

'' * Dimitris Lyacos's ''

With the People from the Bridge ''With the People from the Bridge'' (Greek: ''Με τους ανθρώπους από τη γέφυρα'') is the second part of the ''Poena Damni'' trilogy by Greek author Dimitris Lyacos. The book deals with the theme of loss and the return of ...

'' * Reza Abdoh's " Quotations from a Ruined City"

External links

* Forced Entertainment http://www.forcedentertainment.com * Fuerza Bruta http://www.fuerzabruta.net/ * Reckless Sleepers http://www.reckless-sleepers.eu {{Modern drama *

Theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perfor ...

Contemporary art Theatrical genres

Postmodern techniques

Notable examples of postmodern theatre

See also

External links