Political activist Patrick Pearse understood the mechanics and potential of public performance as a theatre practitioner and theorist. During his lifetime the theatre played a central role in the cultural life of Ireland, and passionate debates on the development of a specialized Irish theatre took place in lecture halls, newspaper columns and magazine articles. His growing radicalization can be charted through his plays. The present reassessment takes place in the context of renewed reflection on the cultural and intellectual formations of those who took part in the Rising, and on how these lines of influence informed their wider outlooks on life and politics. Like Pearse, the essays in this book are interested in the politicality of performance and the performativity of politics. There are illustrations, bibliography, contributors, and footnotes. Distributed in the US by ISBS. Annotation 2017 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)
