The History of Europe — Told by Its Theatres
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THE HISTORY OF EUROPE — TOLD BY ITS THEATRES Exhibition magazine CONTENT 4 Introductions We live in Europe, and it is therefore our task to make this part of the world work, in a peaceful way and for the best of all people liv - 6 Mediterranean experience ing here. To achieve this, we have to cooperate across borders, be - 10 religious impact cause only together we can solve the challenges we are facing together. For this, institutions are necessary that make cooperation 14 Changing society – possible on a permanent basis. For this, it is necessary to jointly changing building create an idea of how Europe shall develop now and in the future. 18 The Theatre royal, drury lane For this, it is necessary to remember where we come from – to remember our common history in Europe. 22 Max littmann For this, the touring exhibition The history of Europe – told by and the democratisation its theatres proposes a unique starting point: our theatres. And this of the auditorium is not a coincidence. Since the first ancient civilisations developed 24 Aesthetics and technology in Europe 2500 years ago, the history of Europe has also been the 28 The nation history of its theatre. For 2500 years, theatre performances have been reflecting our present, past and possible future. For the per - 34 Spirit of the nation set ablaze formances, this special form of a joint experience and of joint re - 38 To maintain the common flection, Europeans have developed special buildings that in turn identity – the Teatr Wielki mirror the development of society. And thus today we find theatre in Warsaw buildings from many eras everywhere in Europe. They tell us local history and our common European history in their very own way 42 Fire! and, at the same time, they ask about the future. 46 Crossing borders The exhibition does not present our history in chronological order, but focuses on a few overall topics that are important for all 50 War Europeans alike. Obviously, the history of Europe is not told com - 52 democracy pletely in this way. The aim is to offer the visitors inspiration that 56 The European route they can elaborate on themselves. of Historic Theatres At the same time, the exhibition is a wonderful example of European cooperation: theatre museums from six countries have 58 list of exhibits developed it together, as part of a bigger cultural project en - 62 Collaborators, photo- compassing all of Europe, the European Route of Historic Theatres . g raphers, colophon I am happy that the European Union through its Culture Programme is supporting both this interesting exhibition and the European Route of Historic Theatres , and wish both of them great success. JEAn-ClAUdE JUnCkEr President of the European Commission SLOVENSKI GLEDALIŠKI VICTORIA AND ALBERT EDITORIAL INŠTITUT, ljubljana (Slovenia) MUSEUM, THEATRE AND PERFORMANCE DEPARTMENT, This magazine accompanies the It's a privilege to get a chance to london (United kingdom) touring exhibition The history of co-create with colleagues from dif - Europe – told by its theatres . The ferent European countries, to come The V&A Theatre and Performance exhibition is a joint production of into closer touch with them, to ex - department holds the national Col - six theatre museums in the frame - change the knowledge and views THEATERMUSEUM, lection relating to performance in work of the project European of cultural heritage. It is a pleasure Vienna (Austria) the Uk. For the exhibition The his - MUZEUM TEATRALNE W Route of Historic Theatres 2012- to make connections and work to - tory of Europe – told by its theatres , TEATRZE WIELKIM – OPERA 2017 , supported by the Culture wards a common goal. And then to Within in the international museum the V&A has contributed through Programme of the European TEATERMUSEET NARODOWA, continue the collaboration! scene, theatre museums are being the story of london’s oldest theatre, Union, without which this project I HOFTEATRET, Warsaw (Poland) regarded as a rare and endangered the Theatre royal drury lane. could not have been realized. Copenhagen (denmark) MOJCA JAn ZOrAn, director species. As this exhibition project Alongside artefacts relating to the - From the beginning I have treated In such a co-operation, usually TEA rOGElJ, curator provides our institutions with the atre history in the Uk and beyond, one museum takes the lead, with The Theatre Museum at the Court an international travelling exhibi - unique chance to put a finger on we include a model of Epidauros one curator developing the con - Theatre is situated just next to the tion of the theatre understood as a the fact that we are all very well which takes us back to the origins tent and choosing the exhibits. danish Parliament, Christiansborg, mirror of the European history as a alive, the Theatermuseum in Vienna of the theatre. By joining with mu - But not in this project. Here, col - and surrounded by historic buildings very accurate and promising idea, immediately agreed when asked seums from across the continent, leagues from all museums met and institutions. It is working to con - mainly because, as opposed to the whether it would like to participate we have been able to create a frequently and together vey the relationship between theatre DEUTSCHES THEATERMUSEUM, conventionalist theatres of Orient, in this European project. multi-faceted story of theatre and of developed the outline of the exhi - and society, and between local, na - Munich (Germany) the European theatre has always Besides, this cross-border pro - nations, through a subject that itself bition, proposed exhibits, tional and transnational trends. In been focused on dialogue, acquisi - ject enables all our institutions to crosses boundaries. The V&A is discussed them jointly, made the particular, the exhibition The history Theatre museums have an interna - tion of experience and competition. cooperate vividly and to prove that proud to be participating in this ex - selection together. later design - of Europe – told by its theatres is a tional status: They represent not Wandering foreign groups were we must not hide in our global vil - hibition, working together with ers were chosen, and their ideas, pioneering initiative in this context, only the history of theatre in their sometimes greeted with reluctance, lage, rather that we have to appear partners from across Europe to cel - too, were discussed by the group. and it shows brilliantly how the his - country of origin, but also the his - but often with a joyful cry of Hamlet: in a global world for showing our ebrate both our shared and our na - The exhibition is therefore the toric Court Theatre – 250 years in torical links which have an interna - Welcome, good friends! With this presence and abilities. Being part tional stories. result of continuous teamwork 2017 – is on a par with other historic tional scope, created for example openness of societies, the history of of our actual task, the exhibition between six museums over a theatres around Europe as major by stage designers of the baroque theatre in Europe has been devel - also shows how much we do in GEOFFrEY MArSH, director period of more than two years. cultural institutions in the develop - period who worked extensively oped in a delightful mosaic reflect - order to enable both museum visit - VICTOrIA BrOACkES, curator A very unusual undertaking, and a ment of society from the 1700s au - throughout Europe, the stars of the ing the richness of the cultural ors and the scientific community to great pleasure to moderate. tocratic governance to the demo - nineteenth century who travelled heritage of our nations. History is broaden their intellectual horizon. The magazine elaborates on cratic culture forms of today. At the around Europe and America, or in - not an objective and firmly estab - the nine topics of the exhibition Court Theatre the exhibition will be novations in stagecraft. These ele - lished reality; it is created in the act THOMAS TrABITSCH, and offers a more detailed look at supplemented by an annex on the ments formed the basis for the of storytelling. Six of our narratives director selected themes. The texts go other historic theatres in the nordic themes of this exhibition, which woven like a threads in a rich fabric dAnIElA FrAnkE, beyond those featured in the exhi - region. were further developed in an ex - present a new surprising story of curator tremely exciting interactive process, our theatres, but also of ourselves bition, but as the magazine is not an exhibition catalogue, only a PETEr CHrISTEnSEn TEIlMAnn, presided over by Carsten Jung. Our as Europeans. selection of the exhibits are director sincere thanks go to him. We are pleased to be involved in this project, WAldEMAr dĄBrOWSkI, shown. In this way, we hope to and thank the EU for its valuable director Teatr Wielki – offer visitors and readers a stimu - support. Opera narodowa lating experience. ClAUdIA BlAnk, director CArSTEn JUnG , project manager 6 7 The Mediterranean Experience 1 European civilization started in ancient Greece. The Greeks were the first people in Europe to build cities, introduce an alphabet and mathematics, develop philosophy, natural sciences, literature, history, the Olympic Games, and democracy. CArSTEn JUnG 2 3 4 The Theatre in Epidaurus, Photo: © Thomás Sakoulas 1 Theatre in the New Palais, 2 Theatre in Gripsholm Palace, 3 Amphitheatre in Łazienski 4 Model of the stage house of Greece, built about 330 BC. Potsdam, Germany (1767) Mariefred, Sweden (1781) Park, Warsaw, Poland (1791) the Dionysus theatre, Athens, Greece (around 330 BC) 8 9 5 Ever since the ancient Greeks, the Mediterranean experience has re - mained strong: Greek thinking Fortunately, a number of shaped our sciences; the example plays from Greek and roman of Cesar and Augustus became a times have come down to us, model for almost every ruler in Eur - namely tragedies by Aeschylus, ope afterwards, the roman style an Sophocles, Euripides, Seneca and expression of power, and roman comedies by Aristophanes, law the foundation of our legislation; Menander, Plautus, Terence.