Irish Drama, Modernity and the Passion Play

265 Pages·2016·2.482 MB·English

by  Alexandra Poulain (auth.)

IRISH DRAMA,
MODERNITY
and the
PASSION PLAY
Alexandra Poulain
Irish Drama, Modernity and the Passion Play
AlexandraPoulain
Irish Drama,
Modernity and the
Passion Play
AlexandraPoulain
UniversitéofParis3-Sorbonnenouvelle
Paris,France
ISBN978-1-349-94962-5 ISBN978-1-349-94963-2 (eBook)
DOI10.1057/978-1-349-94963-2
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2016960626
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I
LLUSTRATIONS
The pictures of PETA’s 1971 production of Kalbaryo are reproduced
with the permission of the Philippine Educational Theater Association,
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v
P P
RIOR UBLICATION
Earlier versions of some of the chapters in this book have appeared in the
followinglocations,eitherinFrenchorinEnglish:
CHAPTER 4
–“Politique de la Passion: Calvary de W.B. Yeats et The Story Brought by
BrigitdeLadyGregory.”In“Qu’est-cequececorpsquej’entends?”:Descorps
etdesvoixdanslethe´a^trecontemporain,editedbySandrineLePorsetPierre
Longuenesse,31–46.Arras:ArtoisPressesUniversité,2014.
CHAPTER 6
–“The Passion of Harry Heegan: Seán O’Casey’s The Silver Tassie.” In
Beyond Realism: Experimental and Non-Conventional Irish Drama Since
theRevival,editedbyJoseLantersandJoanF.Deane,63–75.Amsterdam:
Rodopi,2015.
CHAPTER 9
–“A Body That Matters: Tom Kilroy’s Talbot’s Box.” Studi Irlandesi
3(2013):181–90.
–“Une passion queer: The Death and Resurrection of Mr. Roche de
Thomas Kilroy.” In Comment faire des e´tudes-genres avec de la litte´
vii
viii PRIORPUBLICATION
rature—Masquereading, edited by Guyonne Leduc, 223–34. Paris:
L’Harmattan,2014.©Editionsl’Harmattan.
CHAPTER 11
–“Le corps ouvert: de la scène de torture (cid:2)a la Passion dans trois pièces
radiophoniques de Beckett.” In Passions du corps dans les dramaturgies
contemporaines, edited by Alexandra Poulain, 123–36. Villeneuve d’Ascq:
PressesUniversitairesduSeptentrion,2011.
A
CKNOWLEDGEMENTS
MyfixationwithIrishPassionplaysgoesbacktomymeetingwithMargaret
Mills Harper in 2009, when we co-hosted two conferences about W. B.
Yeats, in Atlanta and Lille. The conversation which started then has been
on-going. On top of being a wonderful friend and introducing me to
southern grits, she has provided me with invaluable advice and constant
encouragement.
IamgratefultoLilleUniversityandmyresearchlaboratory,CECILLE,
for providing financial and logistic support, and to the French Conseil
National des Universités for granting me research leave during which
mostofthisbookwaswritten.
ThisbookhasalsoemergedoutoftheinnumerableconversationsIhave
hadwithcolleaguesandfriendsinIrishstudies,theatreandliteraturestudies
around the world. I would like to express my deep gratitude to Joan
F. Deane, Thomas Dutoit, Nicholas Grene, Margaret Kelleher, Declan
Kiberd, Jose Lanters, Ronan McDonald, Victor Merriman, Ira Nadel,
Ondrej Pilný, Shaun Richards, Luke Gibbons, Thomas Kilroy and Clair
Wills,fortheirgeneroushelp,feedbackandbrilliantsuggestions.
Iwouldalsoliketoacknowledgeahugedebtofgratitudetomystudents
in the Irish studies Masters and PhD programmes in Lille University, for
theirvitalcontributionstomyresearch,andformakingtheteachingofIrish
literatureanddramasoexciting,challengingandfun.
I would like especially to thank the dear friends who have accompanied
mestep by steponthisjourney: Elisabeth Angel-Perez, Catherine Bernard,
Liliane Campos, Meg Harper (yes, you again), John Kavanagh, Vanasay
ix
x ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Khamphommala, Anne Levita,Hélène Lecossois, Lionel Pilkington,Clíona
Ní Ríordáin, Pascale Tollance, this book would not exist without your
unswervingsupport,youramazinginsightsandyourlove.
David Lloyd, your inspiring suggestions have pushed me in new direc-
tionsandshapedthisbookindepth.IammorethankfulthanIcansayfor
yourgeneroushelp,andforyourfriendship.
FionaMcCann—wheredoIbegin?Thankyouforyourunshakablefaith
inthisproject,forlisteningtomyrantsontheTGVandbeingmysounding-
board,sparring-partnerandconfidant,forproofreadingeverysinglechapter
andofferinginvaluablefeedback,formakingtheworstjokesandlaughingat
mine, and above all for being such a fantastic colleague and loyal, caring
friend.
Thisbookisdedicatedtomyparents,RodicaandJean-ClaudePoulain,
withallmylove.
C
ONTENTS
1 Introduction 1
PartI Synge,IrishModernityandthePassionPlay 13
2 “UnseenFormsofViolence”:J.M.SyngeandthePlayboy
oftheModernWorld 15
PartII ThePassionof1916 31
3 AnticipatingtheRising:Pedagogy,SacrificeandTheatre
inPadraicPearse’sPlays 33
4 FramingtheRising:W.B.Yeats’sCalvaryandLady
Gregory’sTheStoryBroughtbyBrigit 51
5 SaintJoan’sUnheardVoices:G.B.Shaw
andthePassionPlay 75
xi