Alchemies of Theater: Plays, Scores, Writings

Dick Higgins (1938–98) was a visual artist, publisher, poet, and composer who was also a genuine man of the theater. His work has been influential in artistic communities in downtown New York City, across Europe, and in Japan, but his radical theatrical vision has received relatively little attention. Alchemies of Theater brings together a broad selection of Higgins's writings and theater-related work, including plays, performance scores, drawings, and writings on theater and performance. He deconstructed the drama, undercut the traditional roles of author and director, created devised theater, pioneered the use of media in theater, wrote the first electronic opera, and was a precursor in deconstruction and postdramatic avant-garde traditions. His Intermedia manifesto offered a sweeping view of interdisciplinarity, creating a new arts ecology.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 214 pages
Publication date: 31 July 2024
Publisher: The University of Michigan Press

Dick Higgins (1938–98) was a multifaceted artist, publisher, poet, and composer who left an indelible mark on the world of art and theater. He was a founding member of Fluxus, a pivotal figure in artistic communities in downtown New York City, across Europe, and in Japan. However, despite his significant contributions to the American avant-garde, his radical theatrical vision has received relatively little attention. "Alchemies of Theater" brings together a comprehensive collection of Higgins's writings and theater-related work, including plays, performance scores, drawings, and writings on theater and performance. This book showcases Higgins's groundbreaking approach to theater, which predates the concept of theater as a distinct art form. He deconstructed the drama, challenged the traditional roles of author and director, pioneered devised theater, utilized media in theater, wrote the first electronic opera, and laid the foundation for deconstruction and postdramatic avant-garde traditions. His Intermedia manifesto provided a vision of interdisciplinarity, creating a new arts ecology.

Weight: 367g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780472056781