Richard C. Beacham

Hugh Denard

For the Romans, much of life was seen, expressed and experienced as a form of theatre. In their homes, patrons performed the lead, with a supporting cast of residents and visitors. This sumptuously illustrated book, the result of extensive interdisciplinary research, is the first to investigate, describe and show how ancient Roman houses and villas, in their décor, spaces, activities and function, could constitute highly-theatricalised environments, indeed, a sort of 'living theatre'. Their layout, purpose and use reflected and informed a culture in which theatre was both a major medium of entertainment and communication and an art form drawing upon myths exploring the core values and beliefs of society. For elite Romans, their homes, as veritable stage-sets, served as visible and tangible expressions of their owners' prestige, importance and achievements. The Roman home was a carefully crafted realm in which patrons displayed themselves, while 'stage-managing' the behaviour and responses of visitor-spectators.

Theatricalism in the Domestic Sphere

Living Theatre in the Ancient Roman House

Provides a general account of the Roman theater and its audience, and records some of the results of the author's experiments in constructing a full-scale replica stage based upon the wall paintings at Pompeii and Herculaneum, and producing Roman plays upon it.

The Roman Theatre and Its Audience

First Published in 1994. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Adolphe Appia: Artist and Visionary of the Modern Theatre

The Swiss theatre designer and theorist Adolphe Appia (1862-1928) has long been acclaimed in Europe as the most important innovator in the concept and use of stage lighting. Many of his ideas were extremely advanced for his time and have now been widely accepted and put into practice. Yet much of his important theoretical work has been difficult to obtain in English. This account, analysis and critical evaluation of the work of Appia demonstrates how his far-sighted imagination also embraced the fundamental reform of scenic design, the use of theatrical space, and a greatly expanded conception of the nature and possibilities of theatrical art.

Richard C. Beacham

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