Wiley Dionysus Resurrected: Performances of Euripides' The Bacchae in a Globalizing World (Blackwell-Bristol Lectures on Greece, Rome and the Classical Tradition)

Dionysus Resurrected analyzes the global resurgence since the late 1960s of Euripides’ The Bacchae. By analyzing and contextualizing these modern day performances, the author reveals striking parallels between transformational events taking place during the era of the play’s revival and events within the play itself.Puts forward a lively discussion of the parallels between transformational eventsduring the era of the play’s revival and events within the play itselfThe first comparative study to analyse and contextualize performances of The Bacchae that took place between 1968 and 2009 from the United States, Africa, Latin America, Europe and AsiaArgues that presentations of the play not only represent liminal states but also transfer the spectators into such statesContends that the play’s reflection on various stages of globalization render the tragedy a contemporary playEstablishes the importance of The Bacchae within Euripides’ work as the only extant tragedy in which the god Dionysus himself appears, not just as a character but as the protagonist Review “The changing fortunes of The Bacchae, as told in this engaging book, are almost as dramatic as the play itself. Long neglected, it made an astonishing comeback in the sixties, capturing our world of cultural and religious clashes with uncanny precision. In these pages, Erika Fischer-Lichte has turned a classic into a masterwork for our time.” --Martin Puchner, Harvard University“There is only one person (Fischer-Lichte) who has the experience, the knowledge and the perspectives – theoretical, theatrical, political – to write this book.  It simultaneously illumines the ancient Bacchae and the contemporary global theatre.” --Oliver Taplin, Oxford University“For the first time, performances of The Bacchae are studied from a world perspective – North, South, East and West. Fischer-Lichte's pioneering book is illuminated by her nuanced conceptions of ritual.” --Maria Shevtsova, University of London From the Inside Flap Before the late 1960s, Euripides' The Bacchae had almost no performance record on modern stages. Since then, the play has been staged many times in the United States, Africa, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. Drawing parallels between the elements of transition, transformation, and violence in the second half of the twentieth century and the plot of The Bacchae, Fischer-Lichte argues that the play's reflection on features identified today as consequences of globalization allowed the performance to accomplish what the ancient viewers believed Dionysus, the protagonist, brought about. In this sense, the author contends that Dionysus resurrects as the god of globalization, rendering the tragedy a contemporary play. By analyzing and contextualizing these performances worldwide, Fischer-Lichte reveals the reasons behind the resurrection of this much discussed but, until recently, rarely performed tragedy. From the Back Cover Before the late 1960s, Euripides' The Bacchae had almost no performance record on modern stages. Since then, the play has been staged many times in the United States, Africa, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. Drawing parallels between the elements of transition, transformation, and violence in the second half of the twentieth century and the plot of The Bacchae, Fischer-Lichte argues that the play's reflection on features identified today as consequences of globalization allowed the performance to accomplish what the ancient viewers believed Dionysus, the protagonist, brought about. In this sense, the author contends that Dionysus resurrects as the god of globalization, rendering the tragedy a contemporary play. By analyzing and contextualizing these performances worldwide, Fischer-Lichte reveals the reasons behind the resurrection of this much discussed but, until recently, rarely performed tragedy. About the Author ERIKA FISCHER-LICHTE is Professor of Theatre Studies at the Institut f