Readings of Contemporary Circus - A Dramaturgy

What are the characteristics of contemporary circus? In what way does contemporary circus differ from theater, dance, and performance? Where do hybrid forms exist? Where are there observable commonalities? Despite the diversity of contemporary circus performances, are there generalizable characteristics that unite the performances? What potential do these questions have for dramaturgical practice?
This book adapts a cultural-semiotic approach to analyze contemporary circus performances. It offers the first comprehensive documentation and interpretation of the art form based on the reading theories of cultural, literature, theater, and dance studies. The volume thereby provides a dramaturgy of contemporary circus, which reveals its generalizable characteristics, fundamental techniques and structures, and the effects they produce. At the same time, theories and methods are modified and further developed regarding the characteristics of the circus.
This book is designed for students and scholars in the field of theater and performance studies, as well as for artists, dramaturges, and directors working in the field of circus.

List of contents

Foreword
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Theory
Chapter 3: Contemporary circus readings: an analysis model
Chapter 4: Come wander with me: on narration in "Fragments of a Mind" by Squarehead Productions
Chapter 5: Metonymic and metaphorical readings: on ambiguity in "I am (k)not" by Ana Jordão
Chapter 6: A balancing act between novel and circus: intertextuality and intermediality in "Le fil sous la neige" by Les Colporteurs
Chapter 7: "Show me where you play, and I'll tell you what you are": on the relevance of performance context in "L'Argile" by Jimmy Gonzalez
Chapter 8: "Otherness is the craziness we carry inside": on the discursive context of "L'Autre" by Cie Claudio Stellato
Chapter 9: Welcome to the Wonderland of contemporary circus: on metadiscourse in "Les Princesses" by Cheptel Aleïkoum
Chapter 10: Conclusion and outlook: toward a dramaturgy of contemporary circus
Appendix
Bibliography
Index

About the author

Franziska Trapp is a postdoctoral researcher at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium.

Product details

• Authors: Franziska Trapp
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Release: 26.12.2025
• EAN: 9781032041223
• ISBN: 978-1-032-04122-3
• No. of pages: 190
• Illustrations: schwarz-weiss Illustrationen, Raster,schwarz-weiss
• Series: Routledge Advances in Theatre & Performance Studies
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History; Dance, History, Popular Culture, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Popular Culture, The arts: general issues, LITERARY CRITICISM / General, PERFORMING ARTS / General, PERFORMING ARTS / Circus, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Anthropology / Cultural & Social, PERFORMING ARTS / Theater / General, PERFORMING ARTS / Theater / History & Criticism, PERFORMING ARTS / Dance / General, PERFORMING ARTS / Dance / History & Criticism, PERFORMING ARTS / Theater / Stagecraft & Scenography, Theatre Studies, Literature & literary studies, Humanities, Performance Art, Semiotics / semiology, Biography, Literature and Literary studies, The arts: general topics