Staging Violence in Theatre
Staging Violence in Theatre

Author(s): Gamze Şentürk Tatar
Subject(s): Theatre, Dance, Performing Arts, Studies in violence and power
Published by: Transnational Press London
Keywords: Staging violence; theatre;
Summary/Abstract: Violence is one of the disturbing phenomena in today’s society. The American political philosopher Hannah Arendt identifies the twentieth century as “a century of violence“ (1970, p. 3). Undoubtedly, violence has increased as a serious and multi-faceted public issue from the past to the present. The World Health Organization [WHO] defines it as “the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment or deprivation” (2002). Violence derives from the Latin word ‘violentia’, meaning ‘use of power’, and it refers to all the actions that endanger the safety of life and existence of all the creatures ranging from living beings to non-living things, which emphasize the irrationality of violence. The Korean-born German philosopher Byung-Chul Han, who explores the historical change of violence from past to present in his book Topology of Violence (2011), points out that “violence is simply protean” (2018, p. vii). In other words, violence, which is encountered in every aspect of life, from public to private, varies depending on social, historical, cultural, and political conditions. Many forms of violence, such as physical violence, economic violence, verbal violence, psychological violence, and symbolic violence, may appear unexpectedly at any time. This disturbing experience in relation to violence threatens the happy and healthy development of peoples’ lives, and unless it is prevented, it continues in unbreakable vicious circles by causing physical, mental, or psychological suffering.

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