Author: Susan McClements
McClements, Susan, 2023 Classic-ing on the Australian Mainstream Stage: the place and phenomenon of classic in Australian mainstream theatre 1995-2016, Flinders University, College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
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What makes a classic in Australia? This book evaluates Australian mainstream classic drama as an action – to classic. This complex practice animates program choice, casting and staging, audience reception and critical response. It involves a sensation of classic, a socio-cultural phenomenon that can be tracked through the analysis of theatre productions. Six productions over four case studies, archival research and interviews with key artists elucidate the classic-ing practice. These classic performances are resonant with postcolonial associations, and act as reflection of the settler condition.
Keywords: Australian drama performance analysis, Australian drama, postcolonial drama, Australian dramatic classic, Modern classic drama, Australian Shakespeare, Indian Shakespeare, Canadian Shakespeare, Louis Nowra “The Golden Age”, Andrew Bovell adaptation “The Secret River”, Patrick White “Night on Bald Mountain”, Samuel Beckett “Happy Days”, Sydney Theatre Company, Playbox Theatre, Belvoir Street Theatre, Malthouse Theatre Company, Anthill Theatre, Australian theatre artist interviews, Neil Armfield, Benedict Andrews, Julie Forsyth, Michael Kantor, Kip Williams, Ursula Yovich, Tess Schofield, Dramatic classic in colonial Australia; 19th century Australian dramatic classic; Post World Wars Australian dramatic classic; Australian classic and the New Wave
Subject: Drama Studies thesis
Thesis type: Doctor of Philosophy
Completed: 2023
School: College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
Supervisor: Robert Phiddian