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anti-theatre

anti-theatre

9.9
A style of drama that breaks the usual rules of plays and avoids normal plot
  • noun
  • /ˈæn.tiˌθiː.ə.tər/
  • Literature
translation icon : antiteatro
  • The production embraced anti-theatre techniques, abandoning traditional plot and character.

Examples

  • Many playwrights in the 20th century experimented with anti-theatre to challenge audience expectations.

  • The director's latest work utilized anti-theatre principles, completely redefining the audience's theatrical experience.

  • She wrote her thesis on the influence of anti-theatre in modern European drama.

  • The play was a groundbreaking example of anti-theatre.

  • Many critics praised the anti-theatre movement.

  • Many playwrights in the 20th century experimented with anti-theatre to challenge the conventions of traditional drama.

  • Her dissertation focused on the impact of anti-theatre on audience engagement and theatrical norms.

How Conventional

avant-garde
7 8.2
anti-theatre
  • Literature
9.9

Surface Forms

anti-theatre singular
anti-theatres plural

Morphology

anti-theatre = theatre (semi-transparent) = anti + theatre

The word is clearly built from anti- plus theatre, but the sense is specialized to a dramatic movement that resists theatrical convention rather than simply meaning 'against theatre'.

Etymology

Anti-theatre combines anti- meaning 'against' and theatre meaning 'a place to watch a play'. So anti-theatre is theatre that is 'against' the normal rules of plays, often breaking plot, character, or the usual stage methods to surprise or challenge the audience.