Representations of Orientalism in French Theatrical Performances

The growing interest in the concept of Orientalism in the arts in general, and theatrical art in particular, along with the emergence of new directing styles, has contributed to the production of a number of theatrical performances that address the East—especially Eastern theater—by employing its techniques and rituals. This has created a form of cultural cross-pollination on both sociological and anthropological levels, while simultaneously liberating Orientalism from its traditional colonial associations. Given the specificity of the research title, the authors found that examining the concept of Orientalism within the theatrical field reveals significant contributions to shaping contemporary global performances, as scholarly interest in this idea has recently increased. Hence, the researchers chose to address this topic.

The study is structured into four chapters. Chapter One (Methodological Framework) presents the research problem, which revolves around the central question: How is Orientalism represented in contemporary global theatrical performances? It further discusses the importance and necessity of the study, particularly its role in introducing the concept of theatrical Orientalism—which is largely absent from Arabic and Iraqi theatrical discourse—and incorporating it into performance studies. The chapter also defines the main terms used in the title.

Chapter Two (Theoretical Framework) consists of two sections. The first examines Orientalism—its concept, historical stages, major patterns, and leading figures—highlighting their ideas and contributions. The second section explores Orientalism in world theater, reviewing the works of key contemporary directors who have integrated Orientalism into their productions at both theoretical and practical levels, including Antonin Artaud, Jerzy Grotowski, Eugenio Barba, Ariane Mnouchkine, and Robert Wilson. The chapter concludes with key indicators derived from the theoretical review.

Chapter Three (Research Procedures) discusses the selected sample: the performance of Inferno by director Romeo Castellucci, deliberately chosen for analysis through a descriptive-analytical approach.