METATHEATRICAL PROCEDURES AND COMIC CREATION IN MENANDER

Procedimientos metateatrales y creación cómica en Menandro

Marc Vandersmissen

University of Liege | Conservatoire of Bruxelles

 

 https://crb.academia.edu/MarcVandersmissen

 https://www.uliege.be/cms/c_9054334/fr/repertoire?uid=U214266

10.48232/eclas.159.04

Resumen

The concept of metatheatre is outstanding for the study of ancient theatre, both Greek and Roman. It raises many questions regarding the textual links between the stage and the audience. However, researchers have often opposed the general dramatic action stricto sensu and the metatheatrical speeches, more limited in the plays. In this paper, I will demonstrate that Menander’s theatre, as a whole, is metatheatrical and that the public is entirely part of the dramatic illusion: for the author, the point would not be to propose a universe dissociated from the spectators. There would not be a border between the tiers and the stage made visible for a short while by specific lines (passive assistance vs active comedians). Menander aims to create a fictional space whereby actors and spectators are continuously connected together by a set of interdependent links. By this way, Menander would take all the participants of the show from the extratheatricality to the intratheatricality. These conditions would generate a homogenous group united, during the time of the performance, by its awareness of the theatrical norms.

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Abstract

El concepto de metateatro destaca en el estudio del teatro antiguo, tanto griego como romano. Plantea muchas cuestiones relativas a los vínculos textuales entre la escena y el público. Sin embargo, los investigadores han opuesto a menudo la acción dramática general stricto sensu y los discursos metateatrales, más limitados en las obras. En este trabajo, demostraré que el teatro de Menandro, en su conjunto, es metateatral y que el público forma parte por completo de la ilusión dramática: para el autor, no se trataría de proponer un universo disociado de los espectadores. No habría una frontera entre las gradas y el escenario que se hace visible durante un rato por líneas específicas (asistencia pasiva frente a comediantes activos). Menandro pretende crear un espacio ficticio en el que actores y espectadores estén continuamente conectados entre sí por un conjunto de vínculos interdependientes. De este modo, Menandro llevaría a todos los participantes del espectáculo de la extrateatralidad a la intrateatralidad. Estas condiciones generarían un grupo homogéneo unido, durante el tiempo de la representación, por su conciencia de las normas teatrales.

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