Dynamic World of Finnish Theatre

Wilmer, S. E.

This book will provide an introduction to Finnish theatre and culture for foreign scholars and students. It includes a general introduction, and an overview of the history and aesthetics of Finnish theatre and its role in society. It will also consist of scholarly analyses of specific topics so that it will appeal to both the general reader and the more specialized academic scholar. The book will also be useful for university courses for visiting students in Finland, and for courses on theatre and culture in foreign universities.

The book consists of an introduction and five chapters. The first chapter will provide a general theatre history of Finland, from its origins to the present, orientating the general as well as the specialized reader. It will focus on the ways in which Finnish theatre compares and contrasts with the theatre and culture of other countries.

The second chapter will contribute a detailed history of the creation and development of the National Theatre until independence (1872 to 1917). This will give a scholarly account of the teething difficulties of the emergent Finnish (National) Theatre company under Kaarlo Bergbom and others, amidst considerable social and political change.

The third chapter will discuss the performance tradition and canonization of national and foreign plays in Finland, e.g., the dramaturgy, directing styles, acting, scenography and technology involved in the general aesthetic developments in Finnish theatre. It will assess the importance of national writers such as Kivi, Canth, Jotuni and Wuolijoki, as well as the classics: the ancient Greek dramatists, Shakespeare, Ibsen, Strindberg, Shaw, Chekhov, and Brecht as part of this performance history.

Chapter four will trace the development of the Finnish theatre system (such as funding, personnel, training, amateur drama, and the nature and types of theatre buildings and companies).

Chapter five will discuss the Finnish plays and operas (such as those by Sallinen who has achieved great international acclaim) that have been produced abroad. It will focus mainly on those plays and operas that have been produced in English-speaking countries or have been translated into English, thereby providing an active resource for the development of courses on Finnish theatre through the medium of the English language.

---

Suomalaisen teatterin historian englanninkielinen yleisesitys on tiivis lukupaketti myös suomenkieliselle lukijalle – vastaavaa teosta ei ole ilmestynyt suomeksikaan.

Kirjassa tarkastellaan suomalaisen teatterin historiaa ja estetiikkaa sekä teatterin roolia yhteiskunnassa. Yleisesittelyjen rinnalla on teatteritieteellisiä analyysejä, jotka ovat kiinnostavia niin tutkijoille kuin kaikille muillekin teatterin ystäville.

Kirja on oivallinen johdatus suomalaiseen teatteriin ja kulttuuriin niin ulkomaisille teatterintutkijoille, Suomeen tuleville vaihto-oppilaille kuin ulkomaisten yliopistojen teatteria ja kulttuuria käsitteleville kursseille.

Kustantaja: LIKE
Sidosasu: Pehmeäkantinen
ean: 9789524718042
Ilmestymisvuosi: 2006
Kirjastoluokka: 771