000 02160cam a2200181 i 4500
020 _a9781003098348
082 0 0 _a948.50381 BER(CR)
_223
100 1 _aBerlova, Maria,
245 1 0 _aPerforming power :
_bthe political secrets of Gustav III (1771-1792) /
_cMaria Berlova ; edited by Michael Kroetch.
260 _aLondon:
_bRoutledge,
_c2021
300 _a241p.
504 _aIncludes bibliographical references and index.
505 0 _aIntroduction: performing royalty -- Theories of playing and performing -- The king as performer -- Court playing culture: brokering power and the nobility -- Public pageant: displaying power to the people -- Royal encounters: communicating power for consensus -- Monarchs in play -- Monarchs in play -- Conclusion: the tragic finale.
520 _a"Performing Power explores 18th century fabrication of the royal image by focusing on the example of King Gustav III (1746-1792) - one of Sweden's most acclaimed and controversial monarchs - who conspicuously chose theater as the primary media for his image-making and role construction. The text postulates that Gustav III was motivated by theater's ability to aid him in fulfilling Enlightenment's tenet of broadly educating the populace and inculcating it with royal ideology. That he was an amateur actor, stage director, and playwright were other engines driving his choice. The project challenges and expands the commonly accepted perception of Gustav III's contribution to Swedish theater, which has generally been limited to founding its National Opera, developing its national drama, and forming its national dramatic repertoire. Maria Berlova presents Gustav III as a performing King who strategically used political events as a framework through which he could embody the image of the ideal or enlightened monarch as presented by Voltaire. Through this, Performing Power explores the tight relationship and complex bond between theatrical arts and politics. This unique study will be of great interest to students and scholars in theatre studies, 18th century culture and politics"--
650 0 _aTheater
_zSweden
700 1 _aKroetch, Michael,
942 _cBK
999 _c647193
_d647193