Radosavljević, D. (2013) Theatre-Making: Interplay Between Text and Performance in the 21st Century. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

• “having the wisdom to understand that ‘postdramatic’ does not have to imply ‘non-dramatic’…” (20)
• “Małgorzata Sugiera notes that the reception of Kane, Ravenhill, McDonagh […] was also shrouded in controversy. […] In addition, she notes that Sarah Kane was criticized in this context ‘either for an unpardonable ignorance of the basic rules of the playwright’s craft, or, at least, for an ostentatious refusal to respect them’ (Sugiera, 2004, 17). Presumably, the call for ‘basic rules’ was invoking the Aristotelian heritage.” (93-4)

My notes:

• “unpardonable ignorance of the basic rules of the playwright’s craft, or, at least, for an ostentatious refusal to respect them”: Such is the case for An Oak Tree, for certain. Example being how Faber and Faber refused to publish it because the second actor thing meant it “wasn’t a proper play” (there’s a quote for this, find it). So it doesn’t follow the ‘basic rules’ of the dramatic (which supercedes all), but it is also excluded from clearly being labelled postdramatic. In AIDY a similar thing happens – but harder to define. However (in relation to quote) Lehmann includes Kane under banner of postdramatic theatre: “”postdramatic theatre – under which banner he accommodates Bekett, Handke, Strauss, Muller and Kane…” (Rado, 126) – so if Kane is accommodated can Crouch/Unltd be?

Citations

Sugiera, M. (2004) ‘Beyond Drama: Writing for Postdramatic Theatre’. Theatre Research International, 29(1) 16-28.