Border-crossing and comedy at the théâtre Italien, 1716–1723
1st ed.
Author
McMahan, Matthew J.
Additional Author(s)
-
Publisher
Cham, Switzerland : Springer International Publishing, 2021
Language
English
ISBN
9783030700713
Series
Transnational theatre histories
Subject(s)
FRANCE--PARIS
THEATER AND SOCIETY
Notes
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Abstract
How do nationalized stereotypes inform the reception and content of the migrant comedian’s work? How do performers adapt? What gets lost (and found) in translation? Border-Crossing and Comedy at the Théâtre Italien, 1716-1723 explores these questions in an Early Modern context. When a troupe of commedia dell’arte actors were invited by the French crown to establish a theatre in Paris, they found their transition was anything but easy. They had to learn a new language and adjust to French expectations and demands. This study presents their story as a dynamic model of coping with the challenges of migration, whereby the actors made their transnational identity a central focus of their comedy. Relating their work to popular twenty-first century comedians, this book also discusses the tools and ideas that contextualize the border-crossing comedian’s work—including diplomacy, translation, improvisation, and parody
