A Stage for Debate: The Political Significance of Vienna's Burgtheater, 1814-1867

A Stage for Debate explores the repertoire of Vienna's Burgtheater in the 19th century, examining how it contributed to political and cultural debates on individual liberty, women's roles, and national identity. Martin Wagner's book analyzes 1,000 plays from across Europe introduced to the Burgtheater's repertoire between 1814 and 1867, revealing that it was more involved in contemporary debates than the stereotype of an apolitical institution suggests.

Format: Hardback
Length: 232 pages
Publication date: 07 June 2023
Publisher: University of Toronto Press

A Stage for Debate delves into a comprehensive examination of the theatrical repertoire of Vienna's Burgtheater, a prominent German-language stage during the nineteenth century. The book explores the profound impact of the Burgtheater's plays on significant political and cultural discussions surrounding individual liberty, the role of women in society, and the perception of national and regional identity. Rather than measuring the extent to which the performed plays violated established norms, the book assesses the range of positions expressed on a particular topic within the Burgtheater's repertoire. Martin Wagner conducts an in-depth investigation into the approximately 1,000 plays introduced to the Burgtheater's repertoire between 1814 and 1867. By combining a broad overview with detailed interpretations of particularly successful plays, Wagner sheds light on the theater's active involvement in contemporary debates, challenging the prevailing stereotype of it as an artistically refined but apolitical institution. Drawing from theater studies, German studies, and Austrian studies more broadly, A Stage for Debate offers a revised history of one of Europe's premier theaters.

Weight: 440g
Dimension: 236 x 159 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781487509552