French Literature Reviews - 2026

Textual Spaces, Scenic Spaces
Theatre and Performance

Textual Spaces, Scenic Spaces
Edited and introduced by Geneviève Jolly

This volume, dedicated to the performing arts and specifically to theatre, brings together insights from academics and stage artists exploring the concept of space in dramatic texts and theatrical performances, as well as the potential relationships or tensions between dramaturgies and stage practices.
Dynamic and multifaceted, the contributions compiled in this volume highlight the value of revisiting such a complex and polysemic notion—encompassing spectator reception, modes of creation and implementation, and, consequently, artistic and socio-political meanings and stakes.

Foreword

François Bugaud, University of Strasbourg II
Membranous Spaces of Theatre

Geneviève Jolly, University of Strasbourg II
Relearning How to See with Socìetas Raffaello Sanzio

Jean-Marie Apostolidès, stage director, Stanford University
The Theatrical Tableau

Laurent Contamin, assistant artistic director of T.J.P. (National Dramatic Centre of Alsace)
Aside, Where Things Silently Take Shape

Antoine Dervaux, scenographer, University of Strasbourg II
From Text to Space: An Itinerary

Florence Baillet, University of Paris VIII
A Machine for Exploring Limits: Heiner Müller's *Hamletmachine*

Krystyna Maslowski, University of Strasbourg II
The Ritual Space of Play: Witold Gombrowicz's *The Marriage*

Françoise Heulot-Petit, University of Artois
The "Cell" Space in Contemporary Monodramas

Gérard Dessons, University of Paris VIII
The Dramatic Place: Listening to Maurice Maeterlinck

Vives Lettres 15 (178 pages) 12.87 Euros

FOR ALL ORDERS:
Université Marc Bloch (Publications and Periodicals Department), 22 rue René Descartes, F-67084 Strasbourg Cedex
Tel.: 03 88 41 73 17 - Fax: 03 88 41 74 20 - E-mail: Barbara.Weisbeck@umb.u-strasbg.fr

The study of theatrical space has long occupied a central position in performance studies, reflecting the intersection of architectural, semiotic, and phenomenological approaches. This volume, edited by Geneviève Jolly, brings together insights from academics and stage artists exploring the concept of space in dramatic texts and theatrical performances, as well as the relationships or tensions between dramaturgies and stage practices.

The contributions examine various spatial manifestations, including the ritual space in Witold Gombrowicz's The Marriage, the "cell" space in contemporary monodramas, and the dramatic place in the works of Maurice Maeterlinck. The volume considers spectator reception, modes of creation, and artistic and socio-political stakes. Readers interested in the evolution of stage design and the theoretical underpinnings of dramatic space may find this collection relevant.