French Literature Reviews - 2026
W. S. Haney II, Integral Drama. Culture, Consciousness and Identity
Theatre and Performance
William S. HANEY II, Integral Drama. Culture, Consciousness and Identity
Amsterdam / New York, Rodopi (Consciousness, Literature and the Arts), 2008, 184 p.
EAN : 9789042023895
ABSTRACT
Integral Drama critically explores modern drama in the context of Indian aesthetics described in the Natyashastra and the vast, emerging interdisciplinary field of consciousness studies. It also focuses on how Indian theatre aesthetics has influenced modern drama theory and practice, and the extent to which this has promoted the development of higher consciousness in actors and audiences. According to Indian aesthetics, rasa or aesthetic rapture refers to the bliss innate in the Self that manifests even in the absence of external sources of happiness. Overall, this book explores the relation between modern theatre and higher states of mind and demonstrates that one of the key purposes of theatre is to help the spectator experience the pure consciousness event described in consciousness studies by theorists such as Anna Bonshek, Ken Wilber, Robert K. C. Forman, Jonathan Shear, Daniel Meyer-Dinkgräfe, Ralph Yarrow and others.
Integral Drama will appeal not only to drama theorists but also to teachers and students of acting, as well as to an educated general audience interested in understanding the aesthetic experience of theatre. Integral Drama, moreover, can be used as a textbook for acting and drama theory classes and would also appeal to university and public libraries. The book serves as a bridge between the ideas and experiences long understood through Indian philosophy and the many questions raised by modern theatre studies.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: The Fall of Private Man in Harold Pinter's The Birthday Party
Chapter 3: Eugène Ionesco's Rhinoceros: Defiance vs. Conformity
Chapter 4: Tom Stoppard's Arcadia: Orderly Disorder
Chapter 5: Discovering Happiness in Harold Pinter's The Homecoming
Chapter 6: Luigi Pirandello's Six Characters in Search of an Author: Being vs. having Form
Chapter 7: The Reality of Illusion in Jean Genet's The Balcony
Chapter 8: Soyinka's Integral Drama: Unity And the Mistake of the Intellect
Bibliography
Index of Names
BIOGRAPHY
William S. Haney II is Professor of American and British Literature, Modern Drama and Theater, and Literary Theory and Criticism at the American University of Sharjah, UAE. His research interests include the analysis of contemporary literature from a Consciousness Studies perspective, Science Fiction, Cybercultures, and the Posthuman Condition. Three of his recent books are Culture and Consciousness: Literature Regained (Bucknell UP, 2002), Postmodern Theatre and the Void of Conceptions (Cambridge Scholars Press 2006), and Cyberculture, Cyborgs and Science Fiction: Consciousness and the Posthuman (Rodopi 2006).
The intersection of dramatic literature and consciousness studies draws upon a long-standing interdisciplinary inquiry into how artistic performance engages the human mind. Works addressing these themes often examine the psychological and philosophical dimensions of theatrical reception, investigating how spectators perceive stage action and narrative structure. By bringing together performance theory and aesthetic philosophy, scholars seek to understand the deeper cognitive and spiritual dimensions inherent in theatrical traditions across different cultures and periods.
William S. Haney II explores modern drama in the context of Indian aesthetics described in the Natyashastra and consciousness studies. The study examines how Indian theatre aesthetics has influenced modern drama theory and practice, and the extent to which this has promoted the development of higher consciousness in actors and audiences. Readers interested in modern theatre, performance theory, and the intersection of Eastern philosophy with dramatic arts may find this volume relevant.