The Cinematic Theater

Because of our film-oriented culture, the study of cinema's potential influence on the theater has become particularly relevant. When applied to the stage and space of theater, film theory and aesthetics open new possibilities, heightening the theater's capacity to respond to and engage with contemporary culture. Director Babak Ebrahimian examines and explores the similarities and differences between cinema and theater, and in doing so, defines a new theater form that uses film theories and aesthetics as its foundation. The book begins by locating the need for cinematic theater in contemporary, image-based perceptions of the "real," and lays out the basic form and aesthetics that make up the cinematic theater. To illustrate this approach, Ebrahimian analyzes the work of major film directors, including Sergei Eisenstein, Federico Fellini, Martin Scorsese, and Orson Welles. He also draws upon the perspectives of prominent contemporary theater directors and writers, among them Richard Foreman, Robert Wilson, and Heiner Muller. Bridging the gap between the two mediums, The Cinematic Theater will be of interest to students and practitioners of both theater and film. Illustrated with photos.