ABSTRACT
This chapter sets out some theoretical frameworks for understanding the relationship between the theatre and the canon and the cultural and political implications for this relationship. It discusses what makes a text canonical, and in particular the role canonical plays have in contemporary theatre. Chantal Mouffe's theories of agonism and ‘critical art’ are introduced as a useful tool for discussing the relationship between art and society in general and the political implications of contemporary directors’ theatre's engagement with canonical plays in particular. At the end, this chapter introduces the eight directors who will serve as case studies throughout the discussions in the book.
