
First Adventure to Final Flight
The Theatre of Tristan Tzara
Erica O'Neill(Author)
Peter Lang Verlag
Published on 24. March 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
264 pages
978-1-80079-999-8 (ISBN)
Description
To date, little research has been carried out on the complete theatrical works of Tristan Tzara, co-founder of the Dada movement. This volume provides the first comprehensive account of Tzara's works for the stage. It addresses his distinct approach to theatre across his career and examines to what extent his dadaist and, latterly, surrealist principles are embodied in his stagecraft, both during and after his relations with these groups. This book uncovers the implications for subsequent theatre and performance practices in light of Tzara's innovations and shows how he anticipates certain tendencies that would become markers of invention in theatre history. Addressing the linguistic, dramaturgical, and philosophical aspects of his theatre, this study positions Tristan Tzara as a pioneering playwright.
More details
Series
Edition
New edition
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Edition type
New edition
Illustrations
15 Illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 16 mm
Weight
404 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-80079-999-8 (9781800799998)
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
04/2025
1st Edition
Peter Lang Verlag
€66.49
Available for download

E-Book
04/2025
1st Edition
Peter Lang Verlag
€66.49
Available for download
Person
Erica O'Neill is a lecturer in the History of Art at the University of Glasgow, where she specialises in modern and contemporary visual and performing arts with a focus on avant-garde practices. Over time her interests have moved from historical studies of the European avant-garde (Dada and Surrealism) and single-author studies (Tristan Tzara) to investigating the application of avant-garde praxis to contemporary social, cultural, and political issues, with a focus on global art and activism. As part of her ongoing interest in the relationship between the avant-garde and contemporary global challenges, she contributes to the practice of Dada performance to promote the ongoing relevance of avant-garde approaches to twenty-first-century experience. Her recent publications include 'Approximate Humanism: Tristan Tzara', with Stephen Forcer (Dada/Surrealism 25, 2025), which includes her English translation of Tzara's La Fuite; and 'Attention! Paris Dada', with Kathryn Brown (Nottingham French Studies 62, no. 2, 2023). Her chapter 'Manifestos, Dolls, and The Royal Family: First Nations Australian Reverse Avant-Garde' is forthcoming in the book A Cultural History of the Avant-Garde in Oceania, edited by Andrew McNamara and Ann Stephen.
Content
Contents: Introduction - The Theatrical Theatre of Tristan Tzara - Avant- Gardism and Classicism in Tzara's Dramaturgy - Hamlet and Helen of Troy in Tzara's Language Collages - Tzara's Theatre of the Absurd - Tzara's Humanism and the Flight - Tristan Tzara: Pioneering Playwright - Conclusion: Tristan Tzara: Pioneering Playwright.