Savas Patsalidis*
I am very pleased to announce the publication of the first part of the 17th issue of Critical Stages/Scènes critiques, which carries 35 fresh, challenging and interesting contributions. The second instalment of this edition of the journal (which is scheduled for release on September 1) will include 12 more articles: namely, pieces in the Essays, National Reports and Critics on Criticism sections. All 47 articles are original works which reflect the mission upon which our journal was established: namely, that Critical Stages/Scènes critiques be a platform for writers and artists to discuss dynamically themes and trends within global theatre. Furthermore, that the journal offers a broader practical, aesthetic and theoretical outlet for those interested in recent developments in theatre across national and disciplinary boundaries.
A case in point is the special topic of the current issue on “Medicine and/in Theatre,” edited by two experts in the field, Dr Vinia Dakari and Dr Catherine Rogers. The editors’ careful selection of papers, combined with their deep knowledge, enthusiasm and commitment, bring to the attention of our readers an outstanding volume, a truly substantial contribution to international scholarship. I cannot thank them enough.
In their own words, this volume “grew out of the currently heightened interest in the interface of theatre and medicine that has grown steadily over the years and has acquired a multidimensional character. Attentive to the expanding literature on medical performance, applied theatre in health and care, theatre-based medical education, and many other areas of research and practice, the articles collected here suggest new models of inter-disciplinarity organized around the concept of a ‘critical turn’ (or ‘second wave’) in the Medical Humanities.”
In addition to this, in this first instalment we have six interviews with artistic directors (from Italy, Spain, Portugal, South Korea, Germany, and India), all related to the international festival circuit; these interviews embrace the challenges of the field, its problems, its politics and its promises at a time when the festival industry is booming.
Matti Linnavuori and Don Rubin have, once again, generously contributed their valuable time selecting and editing the sections with the performance and book reviews. I owe them many thanks. My thanks also go to Michel Vaïs, Mark Brown and Lissa Tyler Renaud for their meticulous reading of all articles. I should also like to acknowledge my gratitude to all the authors of this issue whose contributions open Critical Stages/Scènes critiques to new perspectives and new theatre worlds.
SPECIAL THANK-YOU NOTE: For the completion of this issue, all members of the Editorial Board of Critical Stages/Scènes critiques and all members of IATC’s Executive Committee owe special thanks to Ms Jin Xing and her Dance School for their most valuable financial support. We are most grateful.
We also owe thanks to Jeffrey Eric Jenkins, Executive Editor of Critical Stages/Scènes Critiques and ExCom member, and the Theatre Department of the University of Illinois at Urbana, who have generously supported the publication of issues #8–#16 (June 2013-Jan.2018) and to the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, which hosts our journal and provides the technical support free of charge. All these people and organisations make the publication of our journal possible.
*Savas Patsalidis is Professor of theatre and performance history and theory in the School of English (Aristotle University, Thessaloniki), the Hellenic Open University and the Drama Academy of the National Theatre of Northern Greece. He is also a regular lecturer on the Graduate Programme of the Theatre Department at Aristotle University. He is the author of thirteen books on theatre and performance criticism/theory and co-editor of another thirteen. His two-volume study, Theatre, Society, Nation (2010), was awarded first prize for best theatre study of the year. In addition to his academic activities, he works as a theatre reviewer for the ejournals lavart, parallaxi, and the greekplay project. He is currently the president of the Hellenic Association of Theatre and Performing Arts Critics and the editor-in-chief of Critical Stages/Scènes Critiques, the journal of the International Association of Theatre Critics.
