Acting Funny on the Catalan Stage: El teatre comic en catala (1900–2016), Gabriel Sansano, John London

Comedy has been a constant presence in the history of Catalan theatre, but it is rarely recognized as a separate generic identity, worthy of academic study as a whole. This volume is the first concentrated attempt to analyse Catalan theatre under the comic lens, with essays in English and Catalan. It studies comic form, performative innovation, and socio-political function. As well as providing detailed analyses of figures excluded from standard accounts, it makes a strong case for the originality of many authors, directors, and actors. This is definitely another realm in which the Catalan contribution to European culture needs to be acknowledged and appreciated. Moreover, the book provides an exceptional platform on which theatre is considered – within the same project – from several regions where Catalan is spoken: Spanish Catalonia, the Valencia region, and different towns in French Catalonia.

La hilaritat sempre ha tingut una pres?ncia molt important en l’evoluci? del teatre catal?, tot i que rarament ha comptat amb un estudi i reconeixement acad?mics. Aquest volum proposa una an?lisi de diverses formes d’humor de l’escena catalana, amb una selecci? d’assaigs en angl?s i catal? d’experts de diferents universitats. S’hi examinen algunes propostes de comicitat, innovacions performatives i la projecci? sociopol?tica d’aquesta jocositat. Tamb? s’hi estudia l’originalitat d’un conjunt d’autors, directors i actors al marge de l’humor pol?ticament correcte. Sens dubte, un altre ?mbit, el de riure, en el qual cal recon?ixer i posar en valor la contribuci? catalana a la cultura europea. El llibre constitueix un cas rar on es considera el teatre –dins d’un mateix projecte– de diversos espais geogr?fics on es parla catal?: Catalunya (sobretot Barcelona), el Pa?s Valenci? i diferents pobles del Rossell?.