La Mise en scène contemporaine: Origines, Tendances, Perspectives (review)

In Patrice Pavis's La Mise en scène contemporaine: Origines, Tendances, Perspectives, the focus is not so much on the origines as on the tendances and perspectives in the practice and analysis of la mise en scène. Though Pavis does provide a historical account of the rise of the figure of the director from the late nineteenth century onwards, it is primarily to contextualize various definitions of this term mise en scène. In defining the scope of the work, the author states that: 'on se contentera [. . .] d'observer d'où proviennent le terme et la notion [de la mise en scè ne], à quoi ils ont servi, et servent encore' (p.11). In order to do so, thirteen chapters are included, covering such diverse topics as the staging of contemporary and classical works, the actor's physicality and the use of media on stage. Underpinning the book is a reflection about the transfer of the concept of mise en scène to and from different cultures, which is brought to the fore most brilliantly in the chapter on contemporary Korean theatre production. Pavis also explores the differences in French and English terminology and critical approach to theatre study. He comments on the difficulty of finding French equivalents of physical theatre, embodiment and performance studies, and notices different conceptions of stage art as revealed in the usage of the term production compared with mise en scène. Also included in the book are (too?) many performance analyses – the quantity of material commented upon is certainly impressive. Among these, a study of the Théâtre du Soleil's Les Ephémères (2006–8) is of particular note, since there are currently few critical texts that have sought to engage with the company's most recent production. It is regrettable that the reproduction of the photography intended as illustrative material is of poor quality, and that, consequently, the images are not very clear. A more extensive bibliography would also have been useful given the intended audience of (to quote the dustcover) students 'de cycles L, M et D d'études théâtrales et littéraires ainsi qu'aux professionnels et aux amateurs de la scène'. However, I would nevertheless argue that La Mise en scène contemporaine represents a fascinating analysis and questioning of contemporary theatrical practices. Furthermore, I would suggest that it could provide a useful reading companion to another reflection on contemporary (French) theatre published around the same date, David Bradby's Le Théâtre en France de 1968 à aujourd'hui.