Performance and Evolution in the Age of Darwin

Out of the Natural Order

Bibliographic Data

ID19948486
AuthorsJane Goodall (corresponding author)
Year2002
Publication date2002-09-26
Open AccessNo
TypeBOOK
VenuePerformance and Evolution in the Age of Darwin (SOURCE_BOOK)
PublisherRoutledge (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.4324/9780203471494
OpenAlexW4242599805
Open LibraryOL3725893M
ISBN9780203471494
LanguageEN
Citations received17

Performance and Evolution in the Age of Darwin reveals the ways in which the major themes of evolution were taken up in the performing arts during Darwin's adult lifetime and in the generation after his death. The period 1830-1900 was the formative period for evolutionary ideas. While scientists and theorists investigated the law and order of nature, show business was more concerned with what was out of the natural order. Missing links and throwbacks, freak taxonomies and exotic races were favourite subject matter for the burgeoning variety theatre movement. Focusing on popular theatre forms in London, New York and Paris, Jane Goodall shows how they were interwoven with the developing debate about human evolution. With this book, Goodall contributes an important new angle to the debates surrounding the history of evolution. She reveals that, far from creating widespread culture shock, Darwinian theory tapped into some of the long-standing themes of popular performance and was a source for diverse and sometimes hilarious explorations

Biology · Darwin (ADL) · Evolutionary biology · Software engineering · Computer Science · Social and Cultural Dynamics · Art and science · Evolution · Theater and society