Textual Signs shift in Theatre Performance

Abstract

Abstract

The study is concerned with the direction and theatre making domain in performances, the social, cultural and ideological signs in the classical theatre text, and their submission to intentional shift when presented as a performance in a different culture than its original. Hence the title comes as “Textual Signs shift in Theatre Performance”. The importance of the study stems from the actual tracing of the textual signs shift in all its aspects, and their functional ability in the performance text. It also focuses on their significance when submitted to such shift imposed by the new vision of the same text. The study can be limited to the examination of the shifts within the performance, specifying the time scheme with 2012 only, the place is to be in Baghdad, and the study sample is the play entitled Romeo and Juliet in Baghdad, which was presented on the National Theatre. This is due to the fact that the play is an adaptation of the classical Shakespearian English play of Romeo and Juliet. The study is divided into two parts. The theoretical part, which is of two sections: the first deals with the concept of shifting in theatre performance and the common use of the term; while the second section is entitled the substitutional and structural work on the performance. These are followed by a list of the results of theoretical aspect of the study. The study proceeds to reveal its procedures, the identification of the study society, the means and its path, and finally the analyses of the sample. The researcher reached a number of conclusions, according to the problem and the objectives of the study. Among its most important conclusions is that any text is submitted to a process of intentional shift of its social, cultural and ideological signs when presented in a new culture. This is according to a duality of new substitutions and structure, derived from the new vision of its new culture of the theatre makers. Another conclusion is that the classical theatre texts are of high sign density connected to its cultural and social origin. Therefore, directors tend to shift and structure their social, cultural and ideological signs, according to their new visions of their new performances. Finally, the study presents its list of references and an English translation of its abstract.

Keywords: shift, sign, text, performance