Author Description

For two years now, the Belgian theatre NTGent and the Berlin based Verbrecher Verlag have been publishing the series The Golden Books: Books on the theory and practice of contemporary performance art, on individual plays and general social questions. For the 5th volume, after months of cultural lockdown, when live arts were in a state of emergency and the whole institution rethought their priorities, NTGent asked more than 100 of the most influential artists and intellectuals in the world the question: Why theatre? Why is this art form so unique, so beautiful, so indispensable? From classical theatre to performance art and dance, from activism to political theatre and the performativity of everyday life, authors of all continents and generations delivered short essays, memories, manifestos, letters. Moments of aesthetic epiphany meet strong emotion, critical insights into the problems of representation and populism compete with utopian texts about the theatre of the future: more than 100 voices about the state of performing arts 2020. With contributions from Mohammad Al Attar, Lola Arias, Hector Aristizábal, Back to Back Theatre, Yael Bartana, Vincent Baudriller, Jérôme Bel, Chokri Ben Chikha (Action Zoo Humain), Bread and Puppet Theatre, Tania Bruguera, Luanda Casella, Nora Chipaumire, Benny Claessens, Colectivo LASTESIS, Kelly Copper (Nature Theatre of Oklahoma), Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, Mihaela Drăgan, Radha D'Souza, Tania El Khoury, Nicoleta Esinencu, Douglas Estevam (MST), Tim Etchells (Forced Entertainment), Cibele Forjaz, Oliver Frljić, Gob Squad, Julien Gosselin, Sébastien Hendrickx, Florentina Holzinger, Hsin-Chien Huang, Isabelle Huppert, Manuela Infante, Christiane Jatahy, Jojo & Joyee (House of Muchness), John Jordan, Stefan Kaegi (Rimini Protokoll), Alexander Karschnia (andcompany&Co.), Susanne Kennedy, William Kentridge, Amir Reza Koohestani, Aino Laberenz, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Ursina Lardi, Jan Lauwers (Needcompany), Marco Layera, James Leadbitter