ПОЗОРИШНЕ ПРЕДСТАВЕ СА НАЦИОНАЛНО-ИСТОРИЈСКОМ ТЕМАТИКОМ
THEATRICAL PERFORMANCES WITH NATIONAL-HISTORICAL THEMES

Summary/Abstract: This paper examines theatre performances with national-historical themes and their relation to the process of (re)constructing national identities, unfolding continuously since the rise of nation-states in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Although leading theorists agree on the political relevance of such performances – their ability to “persuade” audiences of certain ideas and to “move” them toward specific actions – their studies do not provide a definition of the term that explains this effectiveness. Relevant literature mainly addresses the concept of historical drama and its specific works, while the performative efficacy of historical drama – its power to create affective experience and influence national sentiments – is largely taken for granted. Since considerations of historical drama are inseparable from the phenomenon of performance, this paper assumes that theoretical insights into historical drama can be used to define theatre performances with national-historical themes, which is the central aim of the study. The definition is approached through the intersection of the concept of historical drama, with emphasis on its political nature, and the transformative quality intrinsic to performance. The paper then clarifies the relation between this transformative power and the theatrical public sphere, explaining the potential of such performances to produce broader ideological effects, particularly in the (re)construction of national identity. This influence is especially evident in times of tension, crisis, conflict, and social change, allowing a parallel to be drawn between the Romantic era and events in the former Yugoslavia during the late twentieth century.

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